NH election 2022: Four running for three Newfields/Newmarket state rep. seats
Four candidates are running for three seats representing Newfields and Newmarket (District 10) in the state House.
Democrats on the ballot are incumbent state Reps. Charlotte DiLorenzo, Ellen Read and Michael Cahill. The Republican running is Jeanene Cooper.
Michael Cahill
Hometown: Newmarket
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 decision to end a pregnancy is a difficult and very personal one that is best to left to the woman, her family and her doctor. What you or I would do under various circumstances is irrelevant. Victims of rape or incest should not be required to carry the child of the perpetrator. Women don’t wait 24weeks and then choose to end the pregnancy. At that point, it is rarely done and only when medically indicated.
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?
NH lags behind in electricity production using solar/wind both are cleaner and generate power here meaning more NH produced electricity/ less purchased from sources subject to events elsewhere. We’ve shortchanged investments in winterizing homes to reduce use of oil/gas. We can offer more incentives for solar, move forward with offshore wind and redirect RGGI funds toward energy efficiency as originally intended. Workforce and housing issues are related to our demographics; fewer residents of working age and those who are, struggle to find housing. We’ve seen a rapid increase in the cost to own or rent; much of the housing being built is targeted toward retirees from other states who sold their homes; these cash buyers outbid young families we need to sustain our workforce and the businesses who employ them. Real estate is cyclical but when businesses or young families are looking to locate, schools are an important factor. We want adults working or starting a business and their children to continue in the future. Education whether toward college or the trades is key to attracting workforce/families to support our economy. We need to invest in school buildings as well as teachers and staff. Replacing the $360M SWEPT (a second tax on property) with actual state revenues could lower property taxes for residents and businesses.
What else do you want voters to know about you or your policy positions before the election on Nov. 8?
During my time in the NH House, I’ve listened to and learned from colleagues in both parties, as well as constituents and the people who’ve testified in committee hearings. Things are rarely simple and unintended consequences abound, but it’s an interesting, challenging, frustrating and rewarding experience. I thank the people of Newfields and Newmarket for entrusting me with this role.
Charlotte DiLorenzo
Hometown: Newmarket
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?
State lawmakers could codify Roe v Wade through the normal bill filing process, and lawmakers could put the question to the voters by proposing an amendment to the New Hampshire Constitution known as a CACR for the 2024 state General Election as a ballot question for voters to decide. The Supreme Court in the Dobbs decision has effectively left out a woman's right to make her own health care decisions and criminalizes women and doctors who treat women: who have to make the difficult and personal decision whether to end a pregnancy.
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?
I think these pressing issues are cyclical. For N.H. families to thrive, the New Hampshire Legislature must pass legislation to codify a state minimum wage. New Hampshire does not have a minimum wage and we default to the federal minimum wage which has been $7.25 per hour since 2009. New Hampshire's minimum wage is the lowest in New England. Our border states' minimum wages are: Connecticut, $14, Maine $12.75, Massachusetts $14.25 and Vermont $12.55 It is more advantageous for N.H. residents to commute to those states for work or to move to a border state which would amplify the labor shortage. There is indeed a shortage of housing for low- and moderate-income families in New Hampshire and it has been widely documented that we need to increase housing supply by 20,000 units. This housing crisis has caused younger people to leave the state, particularly young people who leave for college and do not come back to live here because it is cheaper to live in another state. The lack of housing options contributes to the labor shortage in New Hampshire. We need to look at alternatives to single-family homes including housing cooperatives, congregate housing, and co-housing. The high prices for electricity and fuel show that New Hampshire needs to invest in renewable energy with less dependence on fossil fuels.
What else do you want voters to know about you or your policy positions before the election on Nov. 8?
Having served three terms in the New Hampshire Legislature, I have passed meaningful legislation, including HB 481 which was passed into law in 2022. HB 481 created the office of the Right to Know Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is a citizen resource for people who have a complaint about the New Hampshire Right to Know Law. RSA Chapter 91A, states: "Openness in the conduct of public business is essential to a democratic society. The purpose of this chapter is to ensure both the greatest possible public access to the actions, discussion and records of all public bodies, and their accountability to the people." Prior to the Ombudsman bill, people who have complaints with a public body denial or delay of a right to know request were required to file a complaint in superior court and to pay a filing fee of about $240 to have the complaint placed on the crowded court docket. The fee to file a complaint with the Ombudsman will be about $25. The process Ombudsman process will be faster, quicker, and cheaper alternative. I am a retired property management administrator. My portfolio included apartment complexes in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. I have lived in Newmarket for 29 years with my husband, Randy and we have three adult children, eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Currently, I serve on the Rockingham County Executive Committee, and I am an executive board member of the Rockingham Nutrition Meals on Wheels Program.
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: 4 running for three Newfields/Newmarket state rep.
