The Senate's newest candidate, Callahan, in race for the race's sake

The Republican who emerged yesterday to challenge state Sen. Martha Fuller Clark in the heavily Democratic 24th Senate District says he is running to give voters a choice.

"It would be unfair to the voters and unfair to taxpayers and unlike New Hampshire to have a candidate go uncontested," said Chris Callahan, 38, who is in the Seafood import and export business.

After no one signed up to challenge Fuller Clark, a well-funded two-term incumbent, by last Friday's deadline, the state Republican Party recruited Callahan.

"There were probably a lot of people on that list, but I was willing to step up and make this a debate," Callahan said in an interview.

By his own account he has been more involved in politics this year than any since he was a senior at Portsmouth High School. The reason was Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. It was through his involvement in that campaign that he got to meet other local Republicans.

If he had not been involved in the Paul campaign he would "probably not" be a candidate for office today, he said. But that is not to suggest he is a Libertarian or a "Free Stater".

"I am a New Hampshire Republican," he said. "I am fiscally conservative and socially moderate."

When it comes to the campaign itself Callahan said he knows and likes Fuller Clark and that this is about the issue debate and not her.

"I met her a few times socially, and look, she is a good person who has been driving to Concord for years for the right reasons, but she and I disagree on the issues," he said.

Among those issues are taxes and the state regional greenhouse gas initiative, also known as ReGGI.

"I hear Democrats saying that ReGGI is the most important issue facing the state, but education funding is and we still don't have a plan to help with that," he said. "We are staring down the barrel at a sales tax or income tax and no one has really solved the donor town issue."

Callahan said that he still plans to work full time at SeaWise Inc, where he is a principal, and he has yet to determine how much of his own money he might put into the race.

"I have only been in the race 24 hours and there are a lot of decisions to be made, but I am touched by how many people have reached out to help so far," he said.