Former U.S. Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) is blaming a national Democratic tide for his defeat to U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-Rochester).

It was Bradley's second lost to Shea-Porter. In 2006, Shea-Porter pulled off a close upset against Bradley and this time around she beat him by over 20,000 votes.

"It was a nationwide tide against Republicans," Bradley said. "We were blamed for what happened with the economy and obviously other things and people felt the Democrats could bring the kind of change they wanted."

Bradley also said that he does not think his primary against former Health and Human Services Secretary John Stephen (R-Manchester) affected the outcome of his race.

"I would have liked not to have quite the tone in the primary, that I would have done a little differently," Bradley said. "But as I said I'm not sure I could have done anything that differently that would have turned the day around."

Stephen said that he did not want to discuss the primary against Bradley.

"I don't want to reflect on the past, the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror," he said.

Stephen said that the Republican Party should return to a fiscal conservative message. He also said that he thinks Republicans can win in the 1st Congressional District if they focus on that message.

"You will win in New Hampshire in the future if you espouse those values, if you live by that and if you show through your actions that you are standing up for the taxpayers of this country," Stephen said.