DURHAM, N.H. - This fall, students at the University of New Hampshire will get an insider's look at the New Hampshire presidential primary through a class offered once every four years in the fall that focuses on the presidential election process.

UNH's New Hampshire presidential primary class looks at the primary as it unfolds and explores the unique qualities of its first-in-the-nation status and the process of campaigning. Taught by Andrew Smith, associate professor of political science and director of the UNH Survey Center, the class combines lectures, discussions, and visits from practitioners of the political trade.

"Every four years, New Hampshire college students have a front-row seat to the presidential election process because of New Hampshire's prominence in the primary schedule. This class gives them an even more intimate look at this important political process by allowing them to hear from those who are closely involved with it," Smith said.

Guest visits include:

• Neil Levesque, director of the N.H. Institute of Politics
• N.H. State Rep. Jim Splaine
• Ray Buckley, chair of the N.H. Democratic Party and vice president of the Democratic National Committee
• Tom Rath, long-time Republican strategist
• Ned Helms, former N.H. Democratic Party chair and N.H. co-chair of the Obama and Kerry campaigns
• Scott Spradling, former political reporter with WMUR
• James Pindell, WMUR political director and founder of N.H. Political Report

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students.

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