Should Ovide Lamontagne do the unlikely and pull out a surprise win, two moments might stand out as campaign turning points. The first would be the NH Union Leader’s endorsement of his candidacy. The second would be this comment, during a recent debate in Rindge.

“Ok, that’s enough. Ready David?” (Applause)

Lamontagne won those cheers for stepping between Bill Binnie and Kelly Ayotte as they traded charges of dirty campaigning. Lamontagne sees the moment as emblematic.

“The issues are so great in this country right now to degenerate into the kind of name calling we saw today calls for someone to be the adult and call a time out. And I’m going to do that if I have to for the rest of this campaign cycle. This is not a two person race.”

Lamontagne is a Manchester trial lawyer who lives in the house in which he was raised. He an unabashed social conservative whose platform also highlights fiscal restraint and states’ rights. He’s popular with many seasoned GOP activists, and hopes his first campaign ad will attract fresh support.

“I’m not the establishment candidate nor a new conservative trying to buy your vote. But I am the only candidate with a 15 point pledge, Ovide’s oath, and it’s my bond.”

His ad buy is modest, $11,000, which is a small fraction of what Bill Binnie and Kelly Ayotte or Jim Bender might spend any given week. Lamontagne has no choice; his campaign has raised under a half million dollars. Ask Lamontagne about his thin wallet, he’ll tell you he’s not concerned.

“We will have the resources necessary and I just ask voters to remember that voters break late. In 1996 I was 17 points down the week before the primary and we won by 5 points.”

That insurgent win made Lamontagne the GOP gubernatorial nominee. It came after he ran to the right of then-Congressman Bill Zeliff. Lamontagne was ultimately routed by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, who campaigned as a moderate, and turned Lamontagne’s conservative record on the state board of education against him.

(Picnic sounds)

On this sweltering night about 100 or so republican loyalist are picnicking and politicking in the parking lot of a Hudson real estate company. Lamontage is one of several speakers……

“Well isn’t this a great night to be an American, to celebrate freedom and liberty right here in NH?”

The crowd is full of the sort of core Republican voters that are essential to any candidate’s success on primary day. Many are signed on with one campaign or another. Bring up the US senate race, and apart from predictions of Paul Hodes defeat in November, what you often hear are comments about the negative tenor of the primary.

“It’s a very tough race, and I really don’t like what’s going on with Bill Binnie and Kelly Ayotte. It’s very tough for the Republican Party. We’ve got to overcome it.”

Dottie Price is from Nashua, and a 50 year veteran of the state GOP elections. She says she’s eager to get past the primary and says that Kelly Ayotte can count on her vote. But not every voter is so committed. Chuck Lothrop, who’s also from Nashua, says he’s in the midst of what he called a conversion.

“I was originally impressed with Bill Binnie. But after some conversations with him I become interested in Kelly Ayotte because of his more liberal past. But her statement that she would have voted in favor of Sotomayor for Supreme Court discouraged me, so I’m beginning to support Ovide at this point.”

If Ovide Lamontagne is to pull out this election, he’ll have to hope more voters begin making that same migration down the ballot from A to B, to end up with O.