George Hansel

George Hansel (born 1986) is an American politician. He is the current mayor of Keene, New Hampshire.[1]

George Hansel
Mayor of Keene
Assumed office
January 1, 2020
Preceded byKendall Lane
Personal details
Born1986 (age 35–36)
Political party Republican
EducationSt. Lawrence University (BA)

Early elected career

In 2014, Hansel won the Republican Primary as a candidate for Cheshire 8 of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, but lost in the general election to incumbent Cynthia Chase.[2] In December 2015, he was elected as a city councilor in Keene from ward 5, serving two terms until being elected mayor.[3] George also serves on several statewide boards and commissions, including The University System Board of Trustees, the New Hampshire Council for Housing Stability, the New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility, the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention, and the Governor’s Millennial Advisory Council, [4]

Mayoralty

Hansel was first elected as mayor in 2019 by a margin of 52.7% to 47.3%. He beat out Democrat Mitchell Greenwald for Keene’s open mayoral seat after incumbent mayor Kendall Lane chose not to run for reelection. Mayor Lane and former Keene Mayor Dale Pregent both endorsed Hansel in the race.[5] Hansel took 2,586 votes to Greenwald’s 2,312, [6] [7] In 2021, Hansel secured a second term as mayor after easily defeating challenger Mark J. Zuchowsk. He won 2,133 votes compared to Zuchowski’s 212, or 91% to 9% of the vote. Each of the city’s five city council wards overwhelmingly supported Hansel, who ran for another two-year term on a platform focused on addressing the region’s housing shortage and continuing the city’s efforts to upgrade its aging infrastructure.[8] During George Hansel's mayoralty, the city of Keene has led New Hampshire when it comes to municipalities response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]

Personal life

Hansel's family moved to the Monadnock Region in 1971. He received his a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Prior to his elective career, Hansel was a co-owner and vice president for his family's fifth-generation Keene-based business Filtrine Manufacturing Co., a filtration and water cooling company. [10]

Radio show

Hansel hosts a 2-hour radio show on Saturday mornings on Keene radio station WKBK.[11] He also makes appearances on the station's weekday morning show.

References
  1. "Mayor | City of Keene". Keenenh.gov. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  2. "George Hansel". Ballotpedia.org. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  3. DiStaso, John (3 November 2021). "Incumbents reelected mayors of Laconia, Somersworth, Concord, Keene". Wmur.com. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  4. DiStaso, John (1 November 2021). "Voters in 9 NH cities to elect mayors Tuesday, Nov. 2". Wmur.com. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  5. Damien Fisher. "Hansel edges Greenwald in Keene; Koloski tops in Claremont". UnionLeader.com. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  6. "Keene Mayor-Elect George Hansel: 'We Need to Come Together as a Rural Community'". New Hampshire Public Radio. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  7. "Who is running for mayor in N.H.'s cities?". New Hampshire Public Radio. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  8. Mia Summerson. "Hansel coasts to re-election as Keene mayor". SentinelSource.com. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  9. CLARK, Anika. "George Hansel, incumbent candidate for Keene mayor". SentinelSource.com. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  10. "Filtrine's George Hansel makes his mark on Keene". Nhbr.com. 9 June 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  11. "WKBK Program Schedule". Retrieved 11 March 2022.
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