10 Things You Didn’t Know about Chris Sununu
Chris Sununu graduated with a degree in engineering, but the funny thing is he was determined never to become an engineer. He instead chose to follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming a politician, and on January 5, 2017, he assumed the office of the governor of New Hampshire. Since his term ends on January 6, 2021, Chris is running for a second term in office. Let’s take a look at what more there is to the governor, besides his stand on politics.
1. He prioritizes the health of New Hampshire residents.
Chris said in a coronavirus briefing update that students within New Hampshire would remain out of school for the rest of the school year and will instead continue their classes through remote learning. For the governor, it was not an easy decision, but he feels that the health of the students is much more important than education. He arrived at the resolution by examining various models that would allow students back to school, but in each one of them, the students would end up infected by those who did not show symptoms.
2. He has been under intense pressure during this lockdown.
On March 13 2020, the governor declared a state of emergency, but that was not enough. Barely two weeks later, Chris was under pressure to issue a stay-at-home order to curb the spread of the coronavirus cases. He gave in, and on March 27 the order went into effect until May 4, 2020; by then Chris was instead being pressured to relax the stay-at-home order. However, as someone who prioritizes health, he was instead thinking about extending it; Chris ended up pushing the order to May 31, 2020.
3. He does not give up on his beliefs.
Dan Feltes New Hampshire Senate Majority Leader said that if the governor was not comfortable with signing paid medical and family leave insurance, the least Chris would do is allow it to become law without his signature. The governor, however, was adamant that he would ensure the leave is voluntary without requiring it to become an income tax. Therefore even if Feltes was against a veto, Chris vetoed the bill seeking to establish paid family leave in the state of New Hampshire.
4. He likes getting his way.
Winston Churchill once said that a politician should be able to foretell the future, and if it does not happen according to his prediction, then he should have the ability to explain. Chris Sununu seems to have forgotten this crucial piece of advice because after nominating Attorney General Gordon MacDonald, the Executive Council rejected the nomination. Instead of finding out the reason and be ready to make amendments for the next appointment, Chris said he would no longer nominate anyone until the Executive Council gives him his way.
5. He is proactive in ensuring a thriving economy.
The pandemic has resulted in the world economy going down, but Chris is not ready to have New Hampshire’s economy crippled. Therefore he decided to do a phased reopening of all the establishments that had been closed down starting with drive-in theaters golf courses, salons, barbershops and retail stores. Chris also reopened the restaurants for outdoor dining, saying that they have a task force that will assess how new opportunities can be opened up, so the economy is on its feet again.
6. His wife likes to keep a low-profile
Looking at the lyrics of “Wind Beneath My Wings” brings a picture of Valerie Sununu because as her husband keeps saying, she is the one who makes everything happen. Still, were it not for Chris always praising her in public, Valerie would have been comfortable remaining in the shadows. However, as the First Lady of New Hampshire, she has to mingle with the public but, even as she supports various causes, she does not invite the press.
7. His wife had a very different upbringing.
Chris is lucky to have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth given that his father was a White House Chief of Staff and former governor of New Hampshire. Valerie did not have such a privileged life, and as she told New Hampshire Public Radio, she was used to seeing SWAT teams raiding houses in the buildings along her street. Valerie felt like she lived in a third world country because on her way to school, animals were running around the streets, whereas Chris remembers the media on the driveway with their telescopic lenses. However, she found her haven in school where the teacher took care of her.
8. He was harassed in school due to his father’s inappropriate use of government aircraft.
In April 1991, Chris’s father was reported to have misused government’s aircraft by flying to dental appointments, ski resorts and a stamp convention. Although it was alleged that the extravagance had cost the taxpayers more than $500,000, the former governor reimbursed $47,044. While the incident was over, the media dragged it for an entire year, and Chris was on the receiving end. According to Salon, in school, a student sang him a parody song that reduced Chris to tears.
9. He met his wife in college.
When Valerie met Chris, she felt he was intimidating and unapproachable until he got to know him better. She found out that he was principled and would not talk to drunk girls at fraternity parties. However, the moment she knew he was the right man for her was when he found him painting. For Chris, he knew she was the right woman for him when she asked what his father did for a living.
10. His life-changing event
Chris was an indecisive youth; after getting his engineering degree, he went on to film school, but two months later, he was tired of it. He, therefore, decided to cover the Appalachian Trail with his friend, Steve, and after five months, they had covered the entire 2,200 miles. Being on the trail proved difficult; they had no tents and had to deal with blisters, mice and hip problems. He kept a daily journal of all that he did, reminding himself not to do several things. For him, going on the trail was necessary because, by the time they reached Georgia, he knew he would not settle for an 80-hour per week job.
