Kimball Defies Congressional Delegation Call to Resign

Yesterday, Kevin Landrigan reported the state’s entire GOP congressional delegation — Congressmen Frank Guinta, Charlie Bass and Sen. Kelly Ayotte — along with state House Speaker Bill O’Brien and state Senate President Peter Bragdon, held a conference call Friday to discuss the future of party chair Jack Kimball.

Today, John DiStaso reports the results of that call.

Sources said all five were unanimous that Kimball should go.

O’Brien on Friday afternoon relayed that message to Kimball at a meeting at Kimball’s office in Portsmouth.

Sources said that Kimball told O’Brien he would take the weekend to think about it, and then, after hearing from other party leaders and the grassroots, decided not to step down.

The 36-person GOP Executive Committee meets on September 1 to decide Kimball’s fate. A simple majority vote is required to remove Kimball as party chair.