REAGAN SIGNS ON. Three-term state Sen. John Reagan’s endorsement of military veteran and former state Rep. Lynne Blankenbeker in the 2nd District U.S. House race will become official later Thursday.   Reagan will be the second state senator to back the Concord resident, joining Sen. Harold French of Franklin.   Now in his third term in the state Senate, Reagan and Blankenbeker previously served together in the New Hampshire House.   He praised her as “thoughtful, trustworthy and intelligent” and cited her “personal bravery” having served in Middle East war zones.   “As the congressional liaison for the U.S. Navy, she has acquired the knowledge to understand how things work in Congress,” Reagan said.   Blankenbeker called Reagan a consistent “voice for fiscal sanity and conservative principles,” and thanked him for his support.

JOINT FUNDRAISNG COMMITTEE. Republican 2nd Congressional District U.S. House candidate Lynne Blankenbeker has joined with four other military veterans who are running for the U.S. House to form a joint fundraising committee, the War Veterans Fund.   According to the Federal Election Commission, the committee was formed about a month ago with Virginia-based Republican fundraising compliance expert Chris Martin as its treasurer.   Also on board are candidates Dan Crenshaw and Jake Ellzey of Texas, Clayton Hinchman of Alabama and Michael Waltz of Florida. The group recently hosted fundraisers in Miami and Dallas and plans another event shortly in Virginia.   Blankenbeker’s campaign said her endorsement by the group was “due to her character, integrity, leadership and American values.”   Blankenbeker, the four other candidates participating in the committee and their families “have sacrificed so much for our nation already, and I am humbled by their accomplishments. We all have strong military backgrounds with the same ethos and our mission is clear – we must put our political differences aside to provide for America a Congress that will balance a budget, protect our nations, and adhere to our constitutional responsibilities.”

SENATOR’S ENDORSEMENT. State Sen. Harold French of Franklin on Wednesday endorsed former state House member and U.S. Navy Reserve Capt. Lynne Blankenbeker for the 2nd District U.S. House seat.   Blankenbeker is among three Republican candidates for the seat currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, who is seeking a fourth term. Other Republicans running are state Rep. Steve Negron and former Veterans Affairs official Stewart Levenson.   “This is an exciting opportunity for New Hampshire and I am thrilled to endorse Lynne Blankenbeker for Congress,” French said. “As a Navy nurse and former hospital administration employee, Lynne has the unique skill set we need to find a solution to our health care problems once and for all.   "I know that if we send Lynne to Congress, she is going to use her background in medicine to resolve the lingering problems with Obamacare and find a creative way for the federal government to help our communities fight back against the opioid crisis.”   French was elected to the District 7 Senate seat in 2016 and previously served in the House. He is an auctioneer and real estate broker.   “In just a short time in Concord, Harold French has proved to be a strong leader for New Hampshire families,” said Blankenbeker. “I’m excited to have his support and endorsement. Harold and I both share the belief in limited, responsible government.   'We’ve done a great job of instilling that philosophy here in the Granite State, and I look forward to taking our ideas to Congress to make the federal government both smaller and more effective.”   Blankenbeker is a nurse and attorney, who as a member of the military, was deployed three times in support of operations in the Middle East. She has most recently served two active duty tours in Washington, D.C., at the Pentagon and the Defense Health Headquarters.