t was the 146th birthday last week of the founding of the national Republican Party in Exeter, so Steve Duprey, Republican state chairman, threw a little party/press conference for the benefit of local news reporters and made his pitch for keeping New Hampshire first on the presidential primary calender.
State Republicans and Democrats have worried about holding on to first place every since Secretary of State William Gardner made his surprise announcement that the New Hampshire primary would be Feb. 1 instead of Feb. 8 as many expected.
Duprey, who has noted before that other states are jealous of New Hampshire's primary status, said New Hampshire is ''humbled by the honor'' of having the primary, that it is good for country and ''allows lesser-known candidates to have a fair shot.''
Duprey also said the Republican National Committee has sent a survey out to its members asking what they think of the current primary process, including New Hampshire being first.
A letter to the national committee signed by Duprey and committee members Ruth Griffith and Tom Rath cited New Hampshire's 50 years of experience hosting the first-in-the-nation primary, the high turnout by voters and the value to voters nationwide of the candidates being tested through grass-roots campaigning in a small state.
