NH election 2022: Eight running for four Exeter state rep. seats
Eight candidates are running for four seats representing Exeter (District 11) in the state House.
Democrats on the ballot are incumbent state Reps. Julie Gilman, Gaby Grossman, Mark Paige and newcomer Linda Haskins. Republicans running are Edward Duncan, Brian Griset, William Smith and Robin Tyner.
Julie Gilman
Hometown: Exeter
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade and placed the power to regulate abortion with the states. What should state lawmakers do regarding abortion laws?
Our state Legislature passed an extreme anti-abortion law before Roe v. Wade was overturned signaling a national movement towards restrictions. In fact, the language in the budget was copied from another state. Now we have a patchwork of laws across the country and states are left to self-determination of the issue. Pregnancies change over time that can make critical decisions be made by women, their families and doctors. In fact, in N.H., doctors may be fined for assisting in a critical situation. Restricting the rights to make those decisions may result in dire consequences for women. N.H. lawmakers should lift the current restrictions until a national law is set to equalize the patchwork of laws that currently vary from state to state.
The state's residents and businesses face many economic challenges, including high prices for electricity and fuel, a labor shortage, a lack of affordable housing and rising prices due to inflation. How would you address these challenges?
The high prices for fuel and electricity can be mitigated by supporting legislation for more diverse energy sources, a subject that is almost totally been rejected by the current group of legislators. Solar, wind, and biomass sources have lessened these costs in the states surrounding us. Currently, the prices charged by utilities are set by the Public Utilities Commission. The commission members are nominated by the governor and approved by the Executive Council. While it is supposed to be a nonpartisan commission the appointment procedure can influence their decisions. Another factor is the decision by OPEC to cancel fuel sales to the U.S. Labor shortages are due to many factors. Looking at where you see "Help wanted" signs is significantly higher in the service industry where lack of benefits, part-time hours and lower wages are found. Housing is also a problem in keeping local employment. Some people have found that working outside of N.H. has a better opportunity for higher wages. A colleague of mine uses the word "attainable" rather than "affordable." Investors are buying properties and want to make a profit, so they charge what is affordable towards their goal, not yours. In N.H., new zoning methods allowing for diverse housing stock in currently restricted zones is a solution. This is a regional problem not just local and attempts toward innovative solutions have failed several times in the current Legislature.
What else do you want voters to know about you or your policy positions before the election on Nov. 8?
As a native of Exeter, I have seen the changes that have attracted and dissuaded people and companies from locating here as noted above. Housing solutions and zoning methods are my first priority. Because we rely solely on your property taxes new or changed, thoughtful opportunities for growth will decrease the burden on you. As an architect, I have seen the possibilities for change to achieve these goals. Environmental controls are important to what keeps N.H. the beautiful state that it is but there has been resistance to the science provided to make that point. I will fight for the state to provide municipalities with the revenue sharing we were able to count on in the past. This sharing was taken away abruptly over a decade ago, so your taxes went up leaving you to completely fund all pensions of our municipal employees. Without pensions we will not attract employees to keep our standards of our infrastructure needs. This year we tried to restore this aid in a bill the governor signed but limited this contribution to just one year of payment. Equitable, quality education reform is necessary. Some communities suffer while others flourish leading to an unnecessary division of opportunities. While Exeter is the community I represent, I know that not all of our solutions meet the needs of every municipality in the state. This informs my judgement on some legislation.
Gaby Grossman
Hometown: Exeter
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade and placed the power to regulate abortion with the states. What should state lawmakers do regarding abortion laws?
I fully support reproductive freedom for all Granite Staters. Governor Sununu signed a 24-week abortion ban into law which makes no exception for rape, incest, or fatal fetal anomaly in N.H. This is a direct assault on reproductive freedom and makes N.H. the most restrictive state for access to reproductive care. Doctors and medical professionals are being forced to deny access to treatment for Granite State families. We must continue the important work in the N.H. Legislature to codify our state laws to ensure the right to reproductive freedom without government restrictions are guaranteed in N.H.
The state's residents and businesses face many economic challenges, including high prices for electricity and fuel, a labor shortage, a lack of affordable housing and rising prices due to inflation. How would you address these challenges?
Our state and country have experienced so much collective grief and trauma getting through the pandemic coupled with our economic and social justice challenges. Our children and families have been directly affected with mental-health struggles, access to affordable housing, child-care and rising costs while our public schools, frontline workers, public safety, medical professionals and families have been left to pick up the pieces with limited resources. We must take a look at our mental-health system, support our public schools, and find ways to provide access to affordable housing for all granite staters in N.H. The economic pressures from rising fuel and electricity must be met with forward-thinking comprehensive solutions in regards to energy consumption and production because our climate crisis is real and will continue to affect all aspects of our economy unless we create renewable energy systems that can reduce cost and build a sustainable future.
What else do you want voters to know about you or your policy positions before the election on Nov. 8?
As your representative in Concord, I hope to continue my work serving on the Children and Family Law Committee and chair of the Bipartisan Disability Caucus to ensure that all Granite State children and families are valued and protected. My life experience as the proud daughter of a career Marine Corps veteran, N.H. small-business owner, educator, disability justice advocate, artist, wife and Mom to three public-school teenagers has given me the ability to recognize and support legislation that builds strong inclusive communities in which all Granite Staters have a chance to thrive.
Linda Haskins
Hometown: Exeter
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade and placed the power to regulate abortion with the states. What should state lawmakers do regarding abortion laws?
I believe that all medical decisions should be made by patients and their doctors. I do not believe there is a role for the government in these very personal decisions.
The state's residents and businesses face many economic challenges, including high prices for electricity and fuel, a labor shortage, a lack of affordable housing and rising prices due to inflation. How would you address these challenges?
We need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and pass sensible regulations that support clean energy initiatives as our neighboring states have done. Support for community power will move us in the right direction. The Public Utility Commission needs to approve rather than reject all the efforts to negotiate with energy suppliers to keep rates low. To make inroads into labor shortages we need to support union efforts, insist on fair and safe working conditions, and provide workers with liveable wages and benefits. The housing crisis has become critical. With interest rates rising, more people will decide to rent, and we don't have sufficient workforce housing to meet this need. Overbuilding $500,000 condo units will not help this situation.
What else do you want voters to know about you or your policy positions before the election on Nov. 8?
We need civility in our public discourse and should hold elected leaders to a higher standard than is presently employed.
Mark Paige
Hometown: Exeter
The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade and placed the power to regulate abortion with the states. What should state lawmakers do regarding abortion laws?
The Supreme Court’s decision to take away a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions was one of the darkest days of the court’s history. Thus, ensuring state protections for women’s reproductive freedom has never been more important. In Concord, I have fought to protect a woman’s right to choose and make her own medical decisions and determinations about starting a family. Next term, if elected, I will continue that effort by fighting to codify a woman’s right to choose in state law. I think it is important to note that efforts to restrict women’s rights reflect a larger agenda by some to take away individual and economic freedoms. If re-elected, I will continue to defend those freedoms and fight against the extremists that currently control the levers of state government.
The state's residents and businesses face many economic challenges, including high prices for electricity and fuel, a labor shortage, a lack of affordable housing and rising prices due to inflation. How would you address these challenges?
We are facing many economic challenges right now. One space where New Hampshire can be a leader is through innovative energy policy that can help us protect the environment and address the economic challenges we face, including high energy costs. This sort of innovative thinking is the New Hampshire way; we should see more of it in Concord. We also need to address sky-rocketing property taxes that are burdening families, contributing to a lack of affordable housing and, ultimately, dissuading young people from moving and starting a family here in New Hampshire. One way to reduce property taxes is to stop giving tax breaks to out-of-state corporations.
What else do you want voters to know about you or your policy positions before the election on Nov. 8?
I just completed my first term in the state legislature, and it has been an honor to serve the citizens of Exeter and the Granite State. I am deeply concerned about the state of our democracy. In New Hampshire, extremists have taken over parts of state government; some have even voted to have New Hampshire secede from the Union (yes, you read that correctly). This out-of-step agenda has been reflected in the form of attacks on many of our freedoms, not just the right to choose, but also the right to vote. Efforts to restrict voter rights and participation do not seem, to me at least, consistent with the New Hampshire way; Granite Staters take pride in our active political participation. I have made voting rights a centerpiece of my work in Concord. In my first term, I led the effort to pass a bi-partisan law that protects the voting rights of students experiencing disabilities. Because of the passage of HB 1594, a bill to which I was the prime author, students with disabilities will get assistance in registering to vote as part of their public education. I sponsored the bill in response to parents who asked me to find ways that ensure students experiencing disabilities transition from public schools into our communities as active and engaged citizens. Passing HB 1594 reflects the fact that bi-partisan solutions can be achieved in Concord. I ask for your vote to send me back to Concord to continue working for common-sense solutions.
Editor's note: Seacoast Media Group made a good-faith effort to distribute our candidate questionnaire to all candidates. We will add any missing candidate questionnaires when they are received. If any candidates have questions or need information on how to be included, please email news@seacoastonline.com or news@fosters.com with "candidate questionnaire" in the subject line.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH election 2022: Eight running for four Exeter state rep. seats
