BEDFORD, N.H. —

Republicans gathered Monday in Bedford for a first-of-its-kind event billed as an "unwoke celebration" of Christopher Columbus.

State law requires that the holiday be called Columbus Day, but some communities also observe Indigenous Peoples Day.

The event brought together Republican candidates for statewide office who said they wanted to push back against what they see as an unfair stigma attached to Columbus' name.

"The vision, the honor, spirit, drive, determination, the energy to go and discover and make a difference, I think that's what we all have here, that's the New Hampshire way," said Republican U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown.

Several candidates said attempts to "cancel" Columbus or portray him as a force for evil are part of a broader movement they oppose.

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