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NAME GAMES
Granny on the ballot
BY ADAM REILLY
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Last week brought good news for the woman formerly known as Doris Haddock. Haddock — the 94-year-old political activist nicknamed Granny D — recently embarked on a long-shot US Senate campaign in New Hampshire (see "Who’s Your Granny?", News and Features, August 20). One problem (among many) she faced: the New Hampshire Ballot Law Commission refused to allow her to use her nickname on the primary ballot, ruling that "Granny D" was 1) a term of endearment; 2) explicitly linked to Haddock’s cross-country walk for campaign-finance reform; and 3) not derived from her given name. Haddock is the only Democrat seeking the nomination, so the short-term impact of the ruling looked to be minimal. But the denial of nickname rights might have hurt her in the final election, where she’ll face Republican incumbent Judd Gregg. That problem has now been solved. Earlier this week, the Granny campaign announced that Haddock has officially changed her name from Ethel Doris Haddock to Doris Granny D Haddock. The aspiring senator, not surprisingly, was quite pleased with the outcome. "I’m Granny D," Haddock said after the change was finalized at Cheshire County Probate Court. "I’m 94, and I want to make it official. I want the citizens of New Hampshire to be able to vote for Granny D. This is how people know me." Carry on, Ethel. Er, Granny.
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