The New Hampshire Senate gave final approval Thursday to a bill requiring students at public colleges and universities to pass a civics test in order to graduate, sending the measure to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk.
But the vote came over the objections of Democrats, who said the test would be too onerous on students and universities to carry out.
House Bill 319 would require students attending New Hampshire-run colleges and universities to take the 128-question civics test necessary for non-U.S. citizens to become naturalized. The bill necessitates that students receive a 70 or higher on the test in order to graduate. Exchange students and foreign nationals would be exempt, the bill states.
Supporters say the bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Moffett, a Loudon Republican, would help close existing knowledge gaps around how the U.S. government works.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire’s Republican-controlled Legislature is considering a preemptive strike against sweeping election and voter-access legislation being debated in Washington, D.C.
The House Election Law Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a bill amendment that would keep New Hampshire’s election system in place for state and county races if Congress enacts the “For the People Act.” The legislation, a top priority of Democrats after the divisive 2020 election, would touch nearly every aspect of the electoral process.
The proposal is aimed at curtailing the influence of big money in politics and removing hurdles to voting with changes, such as automatic voter registration and 24-hour ballot drop boxes. But opponents argue it includes provisions that New Hampshire lawmakers and courts already have rejected and would destroy a system that works well in the state.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The audit of a controversial legislative election in New Hampshire began Tuesday with the voting machines and boxes of ballots arriving at the site where they’ll be reviewed.
A team of three auditors has until May 27 by law to complete their work on 2020 election results from four state House seats in the town of Windham. The entire process at the Edward Cross Training Center in Pembroke is being livestreamed.
Though Republicans won all four seats, a recount requested by a losing Democratic candidate showed the Republicans had received hundreds more votes than were originally counted.
mention is the gravity with which people here consider their politics. “People in New Hampshire take their politics – and their votes – very seriously. They understand the impact. People like to look a presidential candidate in the eye and shake her hand a few times before they’ll vote for her.” More so than in other states I’ve lived, ordinary Granite Staters are willing to spend a significant portion of their time walking and talking politics.
This careful parsing of politics may be what has earned us the status of purple state – one where we vote neither overwhelmingly red (Republican) nor blue (Democrat), but a mixture of the two. At the moment, all of our elected federal officeholders are Democrats, while at the state level, Republicans dominate.
The result is a purple state, reflecting the apparent will of the people in the fall of 2020. So you could be forgiven if you expect that the legislation moving through the state Legislature this session also would be generally purple in nature: some conservative, some progressive, a lot centrist.
The New Hampshire Senate gave final approval Thursday to a bill requiring students at public colleges and universities to pass a civics test in order to graduate, sending the measure to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk.
But the vote came over the objections of Democrats, who said the test would be too onerous on students and universities to carry out.
House Bill 319 would require students attending New Hampshire-run colleges and universities to take the 128-question civics test necessary for non-U.S. citizens to become naturalized. The bill necessitates that students receive a 70 or higher on the test in order to graduate. Exchange students and foreign nationals would be exempt, the bill states.
Supporters say the bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Moffett, a Loudon Republican, would help close existing knowledge gaps around how the U.S. government works.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire’s Republican-controlled Legislature is considering a preemptive strike against sweeping election and voter-access legislation being debated in Washington, D.C.
The House Election Law Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a bill amendment that would keep New Hampshire’s election system in place for state and county races if Congress enacts the “For the People Act.” The legislation, a top priority of Democrats after the divisive 2020 election, would touch nearly every aspect of the electoral process.
The proposal is aimed at curtailing the influence of big money in politics and removing hurdles to voting with changes, such as automatic voter registration and 24-hour ballot drop boxes. But opponents argue it includes provisions that New Hampshire lawmakers and courts already have rejected and would destroy a system that works well in the state.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The audit of a controversial legislative election in New Hampshire began Tuesday with the voting machines and boxes of ballots arriving at the site where they’ll be reviewed.
A team of three auditors has until May 27 by law to complete their work on 2020 election results from four state House seats in the town of Windham. The entire process at the Edward Cross Training Center in Pembroke is being livestreamed.
Though Republicans won all four seats, a recount requested by a losing Democratic candidate showed the Republicans had received hundreds more votes than were originally counted.
mention is the gravity with which people here consider their politics. “People in New Hampshire take their politics – and their votes – very seriously. They understand the impact. People like to look a presidential candidate in the eye and shake her hand a few times before they’ll vote for her.” More so than in other states I’ve lived, ordinary Granite Staters are willing to spend a significant portion of their time walking and talking politics.
This careful parsing of politics may be what has earned us the status of purple state – one where we vote neither overwhelmingly red (Republican) nor blue (Democrat), but a mixture of the two. At the moment, all of our elected federal officeholders are Democrats, while at the state level, Republicans dominate.
The result is a purple state, reflecting the apparent will of the people in the fall of 2020. So you could be forgiven if you expect that the legislation moving through the state Legislature this session also would be generally purple in nature: some conservative, some progressive, a lot centrist.
This New Hampshire onAir hub supports its citizens to become more informed about and engaged in federal and state politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow Granite Staters.
New Hampshire onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to reinvigorate our imperiled democracy.
Virginia onAir is US onAir’s model of how a state’s onAir Council and curators can enhance a state Hub with fresh Top News and state legislature content, moderated discussions, and production of zoom aircasts with committees, interviews and debates with candidates, and presentations.
For more information about the many opportunities to learn about and engage with this New Hampshire onAir hub, go to this US onAir post on the US onAir central hub.
Our two minute vision video about the US onAir network is below.
This New Hampshire onAir hub supports its citizens to become more informed about and engaged in federal and state politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow Granite Staters.
New Hampshire onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to reinvigorate our imperiled democracy.
Virginia onAir is US onAir’s model of how a state’s onAir Council and curators can enhance a state Hub with fresh Top News and state legislature content, moderated discussions, and production of zoom aircasts with committees, interviews and debates with candidates, and presentations.
For more information about the many opportunities to learn about and engage with this New Hampshire onAir hub, go to this US onAir post on the US onAir central hub.
Our two minute vision video about the US onAir network is below.
Current Position: US Senator since 2009 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Senator Former Position(s): Governor from 2013 – 2017; State Senator from 2004 – 2010
Other Positions: Chair, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies – Committee on Appropriations
Featured Quote: The data doesn’t lie–the #COVID19 crisis had a disproportionate impact on women in the workforce. Now more than ever, we must ensure women have the financial safeguards in place so they can take care of themselves & their families without worrying about their savings running out.
Featured Video: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen: New Hampshire’s pioneering senator
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the only woman and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), today questioned Secretary of State Antony Blinken on several policy priorities following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, most notably, the plight of Afghan women and girls and Afghan allies, and continued efforts to evacuate Americans and vulnerable Afghan communities.
Shaheen has long championed the rights of Afghan women and girls and for years has led Senate efforts in support of bolstering the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. During her questioning, Shaheen underscored the timeline of policy priorities in Afghanistan, including failures stemming from the Trump administration that contributed to the deterioration of conditions in Afghanistan and obstacles in identifying, processing and evacuating individuals last month
Summary
Current Position: US Senator since 2009 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Senator Former Position(s): Governor from 2013 – 2017; State Senator from 2004 – 2010
Other Positions: Chair, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies – Committee on Appropriations
Featured Quote: The data doesn’t lie–the #COVID19 crisis had a disproportionate impact on women in the workforce. Now more than ever, we must ensure women have the financial safeguards in place so they can take care of themselves & their families without worrying about their savings running out.
Featured Video: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen: New Hampshire’s pioneering senator
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the only woman and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), today questioned Secretary of State Antony Blinken on several policy priorities following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, most notably, the plight of Afghan women and girls and Afghan allies, and continued efforts to evacuate Americans and vulnerable Afghan communities.
Shaheen has long championed the rights of Afghan women and girls and for years has led Senate efforts in support of bolstering the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. During her questioning, Shaheen underscored the timeline of policy priorities in Afghanistan, including failures stemming from the Trump administration that contributed to the deterioration of conditions in Afghanistan and obstacles in identifying, processing and evacuating individuals last month
As top ranking woman of the Armed Services committee and the only woman on the Foreign Relations committee, Senator Shaheen advocates for a strong foreign policy that confronts our enemies, strengthens key alliances, and bolsters New Hampshire’s role in our national defense. Shaheen’s strong stance against Vladimir Putin’s aggression, led to her being sanctioned by the Kremlin and denied a visa to travel to Russia. Shaheen is a leader on protecting our democratic institutions from foreign intrusion, enhancing our cyber defenses, and working with our allies to improve trade and security cooperation. She has been a consistent advocate for the critical role the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Pease Air National Guard Base and New Hampshire’s defense-related companies, serve in protecting our nation.
Senator Shaheen is a champion for women here at home and around the globe. In 2018, she worked to broaden the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in order to better investigate and prosecute violent crimes against women. In 2016, President Obama signed into law the Shaheen-authored Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act, a federal bill of rights for sexual assault survivors. Jeanne Shaheen has also been a consistent supporter of Planned Parenthood and the critical health services it provides to thousands of Granite Staters. She has led bipartisan efforts in Congress to permanently repeal the Trump administration’s expanded Global Gag Rule, which undermines the availability of family planning and other health care services in developing countries, and got legislation signed into law that gives women a seat at the table to better facilitate lasting conflict resolution around the world.
New Hampshire is the only state in the nation without a full service VA hospital. To expand health services for veterans, Shaheen worked with members of both parties to pass VA reforms enabling Granite State veterans to receive quality health care outside the VA system and closer to home.
Senator Shaheen has made streamlining government and fiscal responsibility a hallmark of her career in the Senate, identifying many areas of waste and inefficiency. She has introduced bipartisan legislation to reform the congressional budget process, eliminate duplicative programs, and phase out unneeded and costly tax breaks for sugar growers and mining companies. She has also led efforts to eliminate exorbitant subsidies for powerful special interests like pharmaceutical and oil companies.
Hassan first ran for the New Hampshire Senate in 2002.[5][6] She lost to incumbent Russell Prescott, but ran against Prescott again in 2004 and won.[7][8] Hassan was elected to a total of three two-year terms, representing New Hampshire’s 23rd district from January 2005 to December 2010. She became the majority leader in 2008 before losing reelection in a 2010 rematch with Prescott.[9]
In 2016, Hassan ran for the U.S. Senate and narrowly defeated Kelly Ayotte, the Republican incumbent, by about a thousand votes (about 0.1% of the total).[10][11] She is serving with Jeanne Shaheen, another former governor. Hassan and Shaheen are the only two women in American history to be elected both governor and U.S. senator, and both coincidentally in the same state.[12]
In 1996, Hassan began working as an attorney for Sullivan, Weinstein & McQuay, a Boston corporate defense and business law firm.[21] In 1999, then-New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen appointed her as a citizen advisor to the Advisory Committee to the Adequacy in Education and Finance Commission.[17]
In November 2010, Hassan lost to Prescott in a second rematch, 53% to 47%,[24] as Republicans regained control of both the state House and state Senate.[25]
Tenure
Hassan served on the Capital Budget Committee and the Budget Conference Committee.[26] She helped pass the 2008–09 budget.[27]
In 2008, Senate President Sylvia Larsen chose Hassan to serve as Senate Majority Leader, the number two position in the New Hampshire Senate. Larsen chose her for the position because she wanted someone who would fight to get the Democratic caucus to support the same agenda, sometimes creating friction between Hassan and her Republican colleagues.[28]
During her tenure as majority leader, Hassan had a major role in legalizing same-sex marriage in New Hampshire.[28] She presented three versions of a same-sex marriage bill, one of which narrowly gained enough support to pass both chambers.[28]
Hassan helped pass the 2010–11 budget.[29] This budget increased spending by over a billion dollars and contained 33 tax and fee increases, including taxing campsites like hotel rooms, a so-called “income tax” on New Hampshire business, and raising vehicle registration fees.[30][31][32]
Committee assignments
Capital Budget Committee
Commerce, Labor and Consumer Protection
Finance
Public and Municipal Affairs (Chair)
Energy, Environment, and Economic Development (Vice Chair)
In October 2011, Hassan announced her candidacy for governor of New Hampshire.[33] She won the Democratic primary with 53% of the vote, defeating former state senator Jacalyn Cilley, who received 39%.[34] Hassan was endorsed by former U.S. PresidentBill Clinton.[35][9] Campaign themes included implementing the Affordable Care Act.[36]
In the general election, Hassan defeated Republican nominee Ovide M. Lamontagne, 55% to 43%, carrying every county in the state.[37] Matt Burgess managed her campaign and senior consultants included media consultant Joe Slade White.[38]
In June 2014, Hassan filed to run for reelection.[40] In August 2014, New Hampshire Attorney GeneralJoseph Foster, a Hassan appointee, ordered her to return $24,000 in campaign contributions that violated New Hampshire campaign finance laws.[41] In October 2014, Hassan was ordered to return another $25,000 in funds a union donated to her gubernatorial campaign because the union had not properly registered with the state as a political committee.[42]
Hassan defeated Ian Freeman in the September 9 Democratic primary and Republican nominee Walt Havenstein in the general election, 52% to 48%. She carried seven out of ten counties.[43]
Tenure
Hassan as governor.
Hassan was sworn in as governor for a two-year term on January 3, 2013. In December 2013, she was elected vice chair of the Democratic Governors Association.[44] That year, Hassan signed a bill creating a state sea level rise commission.[45][46]
During a conflict between two sides of the Demoulas family, which owns the Market Basket grocery chain, Hassan urged the family to resolve the dispute, which threatened 9,000 jobs in New Hampshire.[47]
In July 2015, Hassan vetoed a bill that would have removed the licensing requirement for carrying concealed firearms in the state.[48] In response to New Hampshire’s opioid crisis, she appointed Jack Wozmak the state’s “drug czar” in early 2015. He resigned one year later in response to complaints about his job performance.[49][50] Hassan also worked to preserve funding for Planned Parenthood clinics throughout the state.[51]
She resigned as governor at the end of January 2, 2017, to prepare for her swearing-in to the U.S. Senate. Senate president Chuck Morse became acting governor.[52]
On October 5, 2015, Hassan announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2016. She challenged Republican incumbent Kelly Ayotte.[53] The race was considered one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races of the year.[54]
Hassan was endorsed by the pro-choice Democratic political action committeeEMILY’s List, which also backed her two gubernatorial runs.[55] Hassan endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.[56] She said climate change and reproductive rights would be her top priorities if she were elected to the Senate.[57]
On November 9, the day after Election Day, Hassan was declared the winner.[58] Ayotte conceded that evening, choosing not to pursue a recount.[58]
Hassan has announced her candidacy for reelection in 2022.[59] Many anticipated a tight race against Republican Governor Chris Sununu, but as of November 2021 Sununu had decided to run for a fourth term as governor instead of for Senate.[60]
Tenure
Hassan being sworn in to the U.S. Senate by Vice President Joe Biden.
Hassan was in the Senate chamber on January 6, 2021, for the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.[62] After the Capitol was breached by rioters, Hassan, along with staff and other senators, was removed from the chambers to an undisclosed location.[63] Hassan called the event traumatizing, calling it an “insurrection” and “one of the grimmest days in the history of our country.”[63][64] The following day, she called for Trump to resign, calling him “unfit for office”.[64] She also called for an investigation into the lack of security, poor law enforcement response,[64] and how law enforcement treated the Trump supporters, which contrasted with the treatment of Black Lives Matter protestors.[63]
On June 19, 2018, a congressional intern was caught on video yelling, “Mr. President, fuck you!”, as Trump walked through the United States Capitol for a meeting with Republican congressmen.[67] On June 25, Hassan’s office confirmed that a Hassan intern, Caitlin Marriott, was the person caught on video swearing at Trump. A Hassan spokesperson confirmed that Marriott had been suspended from her position for a week and was required to return her congressional intern ID badge.[68] Hassan refused demands that she fire Marriott.[69]
In 2019, former Hassan staffers Jackson Cosko and Samantha Davis pleaded guilty to federal crimes. Cosko pleaded guilty to five felonies; following his termination from Hassan’s staff, he illegally accessed Senate computers, obtained personal information about five Republican senators, and disseminated that personal information online because he was angry about the senators’ roles in the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States. In June 2019, Cosko was sentenced to four years in prison.[70] Davis pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors in July 2019, acknowledging that she had given Cosko access to Hassan’s Senate office after he was fired and had lied to investigators about it.[71]
As of November 2021, Hassan had voted in line with President Joe Biden‘s stated position 100% of the time.[72]
In April 2022, Hassan called on the Biden administration to keep a President Trump-era immigration rule, known as Title 42, limiting migrants and asylum-seekers from crossing the southern border.[73]
In July 2019, Hassan cosponsored the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act, a bill introduced by Ben Cardin and Rob Portman that would create a new memorial that would be privately funded and constructed on federal lands within Washington, D.C. to honor journalists, photographers, and broadcasters who have died in the line of duty.[78]
Marijuana
As governor, Hassan signed legislation to legalize medical cannabis but said she would veto any bill that came to her desk to legalize recreational cannabis.[79] As of 2020, NORML, an organization that seeks legalization, gave Hassan a C− score as a U.S. senator due to her actions as governor.[80]
Minimum wage
On February 3, 2021, Hassan announced she opposes raising the federal minimum wage to $15/hour as proposed in President Biden‘s American Rescue Plan legislation.[81] On March 5, 2021, she and seven other Democratic senators voted with Republicans to block raising the minimum wage as part of the legislation.[82][83]
Personal life
Hassan and her husband Thomas were married on August 27, 1983.[84] He served as the principal of Phillips Exeter Academy from 2008 to 2015, and as the president of School Year Abroad since 2016.[85] When he was principal, the Hassans did not live in the Governor’s Mansion, instead living in a colonial mansion on the school campus provided to them as part of her husband’s employment.[5] After he left his position at Phillips Exeter, the Hassans bought and moved into a home in Newfields, New Hampshire.[a][5][86]
^“Hassan Sworn In As U.S. Senator”. New Hampshire Public Radio. Associated Press. January 3, 2017. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
Foreign Relations As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senator Shaheen is committed to helping build strong international alliances to bolster America’s national security and boost our economy. Appropriations After balancing a budget as a mother, small business owner, and governor, Senator Shaheen understands that every dollar we spend must deliver results. She is committed to fiscal responsibility and knows that public officials have a fundamental duty to make sure taxpayer money is used effectively and that each dollar can be accounted for. As the Ranking Member on the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee, Sen. Shaheen works across the aisle to author annual funding legislation for the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation, and other agencies. Armed Services As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, Shaheen has worked for fair treatment of American veterans and an articulate military strategy that keeps the United States and its allies safe from harm. She has supported New Hampshire soldiers, military bases, and defense-related businesses at the federal level. Small Business As a former small business owner, Senator Shaheen knows that small businesses are the engine that drives New Hampshire’s economy. As the former lead Democrat and current member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Senator Shaheen is putting the needs of small businesses first—meeting with Granite State entrepreneurs and business owners and working to enact common sense small business policies that grow the economy and create jobs. Senator Shaheen’s small business priorities include: helping more small businesses access capital by increasing SBA lending; addressing workforce development challenges so workers have the right skills and training; addressing poorly crafted federal regulations that burden small businesses; and expanding federal contracting opportunities for rural small businesses.
As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Senator Shaheen is committed to helping build strong international alliances to bolster America’s national security and boost our economy.
After balancing a budget as a mother, small business owner, and governor, Senator Shaheen understands that every dollar we spend must deliver results. She is committed to fiscal responsibility and knows that public officials have a fundamental duty to make sure taxpayer money is used effectively and that each dollar can be accounted for. As the Chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee, Sen. Shaheen works across the aisle to author annual funding legislation for the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA), National Science Foundation, and other agencies.
As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, Shaheen has worked for fair treatment of American veterans and an articulate military strategy that keeps the United States and its allies safe from harm. She has supported New Hampshire soldiers, military bases, and defense-related businesses at the federal level.
As a former small business owner, Senator Shaheen knows that small businesses are the engine that drives New Hampshire’s economy. As the former lead Democrat and current member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Senator Shaheen is putting the needs of small businesses first—meeting with Granite State entrepreneurs and business owners and working to enact common sense small business policies that grow the economy and create jobs. Senator Shaheen’s small business priorities include: helping more small businesses access capital by increasing SBA lending; addressing workforce development challenges so workers have the right skills and training; addressing poorly crafted federal regulations that burden small businesses; and expanding federal contracting opportunities for rural small businesses.
Senator Shaheen knows we need to continue to create jobs and lay the foundation for long-term economic growth. As a former small business owner, she understands that it is the private sector, not the government, which will create jobs that put people back to work and strengthen the economy. But she also knows that the government has an important role to play in creating the right atmosphere for entrepreneurship and innovation.
Senator Shaheen is committed to helping small businesses grow and create the jobs that will keep America competitive in the 21st century.
Senator Shaheen has been committed to improving K-12 and higher education for New Hampshire students throughout her career. As a former Dover school teacher, Shaheen understands that a high quality public education is essential for America’s children. She believes that every child must have the education and skills necessary to compete in the global economy. That’s why she has focused on giving students greater access to education in the growing fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.
As Governor and State Senator, Shaheen made it a priority to strengthen New Hampshire’s schools. She continues that work in the United States Senate and is committed to strengthening our public education system to ensure that every child graduates from high school prepared to succeed.
Transitioning to clean, alternative energy is critical to both our national security and our economy.
Senator Shaheen knows we face unprecedented energy and environmental challenges. We cannot continue to export dollars for imported oil from hostile regions of the world. Instead, we must confront the global threat of climate change, and at the same time we must meet our rapidly growing energy needs.
Shaheen has been a leader on energy efficiency policy throughout her career and is the co-author of bipartisan energy efficiency legislation.
In the Senate, Shaheen is a leading voice for comprehensive energy legislation that provides the incentives and certainty businesses are looking for to invest in clean energy.
Senator Shaheen believes that we must transform our health care system to provide better care at a lower cost. She voted in favor of the 2010 Affordable Care Act because she believes it is an important first step to making essential changes to our health care system.
Already, the health reform law has made a significant impact on the lives of many Americans. No longer can health insurance companies put lifetime dollar limits on health benefits or drop coverage if someone gets sick. Children under 19 can no longer be denied coverage if they have a pre-existing condition, and parents can keep their children on their insurance plans up to age 26. Small businesses across New Hampshire have been able to take advantage of tax credits to help provide insurance for their employees, and seniors have seen a reduction in the price of prescription drugs and now have access to free annual wellness visits with their doctor.
Senator Shaheen recognizes that more work needs to be done to make care affordable and accessible. She remains committed to offering common sense ideas that will improve the quality of care people receive while containing costs.
Senator Shaheen is a supporter of comprehensive immigration reform and recently voted in favor of bipartisan, commonsense immigration reform legislation that would strengthen border security, require all employers to use an E-Verify system to ensure no workers are here illegally, and provide a tough but fair path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants who are already living in the United States. She believes that commonsense immigration reform in the United States has been long overdue and is pleased to see both parties coming together to address this issue.
As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Shaheen is dedicated to strengthening America’s national security. She believes that a strong and active United States is fundamental to securing our national interests at home and abroad. Senator Shaheen also believes that U.S. global leadership is directly tied to the strength of our ideals, our alliances and our diplomacy, and she is working to ensure our national security policies reflect our broader democratic values.
Today, the world is more interconnected than ever before, and our nation’s economy and security are directly linked to events across the globe. Many businesses in New Hampshire and throughout the U.S. rely on access to markets and consumers thousands of miles away. The threats of the 21st century – from terrorism and extremism to weapons of mass destruction, failed states to cyber attacks, climate change to disease– are truly global and will require a balanced approach that leverages all of America’s ingenuity and power and contributions from our allies and partners.
Senator Shaheen believes that America’s leaders have a responsibility to leave the world a better and safer place for the next generation of Americans.
New Hampshire has a strong tradition of military service and honoring our commitment to veterans has been a top priority for Senator Shaheen. A member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, she has been a strong advocate for veterans, working to expand veterans’ access to health care, increase economic opportunity for veterans when they return home and making sure veterans receive the benefits they’ve earned and deserve. Coming from a family with a strong tradition of military service, Senator Shaheen understands the sacrifices service members and their families make and will continue to fight for veterans in New Hampshire and across the country.
Fiscal Responsibility
After balancing a budget as a mother, small business owner, and governor, Senator Shaheen understands that every dollar we spend must deliver results. She is committed to fiscal responsibility and knows that public officials have a fundamental duty to make sure taxpayer money is used effectively and that each dollar can be accounted for.
We can only address our record deficit by making reforms to every area of the federal budget: domestic spending, defense spending, mandatory spending, and revenues. Senator Shaheen is working to protect taxpayer dollars by opposing wasteful spending and by working to improve programs that need fixing. At the same time, she is striving to change the way Washington does business.
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
Senator Shaheen knows that small businesses are the engine of New Hampshire’s economy – and that’s why she chose to serve on the Senate Small Business Committee. Over 96 percent of New Hampshire’s employers are small businesses. To put this in perspective, New Hampshire has enough small business employees to fill up Fenway Park almost six times.
As the former owner and manager of a small retail business, Senator Shaheen knows what it’s like to worry about meeting payroll and inventory costs to keep a business going. And as the former Governor of New Hampshire, Senator Shaheen understands it is small business, not the government, that creates jobs and drives new ideas and innovation. But she also believes government has a vital role to play in addressing the challenges small businesses face, especially in difficult economic times.
As a member of the Small Business Committee, Senator Shaheen helped craft the Small Business Jobs Act, which has helped hundreds of small businesses in New Hampshire by providing them with tax breaks, access to credit, and exporting opportunities. She also created the Small Business Advisory Council in 2009. She meets with them to hear about and help with the challenges and opportunities confronting New Hampshire small businesses.
Current Position: US Senator since 2017 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): State Senator from 2004 – 2010
Other Positions: Chair, Public and Municipal Affairs sub-committee Vice Chair, Energy, Environment, and Economic Development sub-committee
Featured Quote: @POTUS just signed bipartisan legislation into law that will help prevent victim services from being cut. This is great news — and I’ll continue working to ensure that survivors of violent crimes are supported and that their perpetrators are brought to justice.
Featured Video: Sen. Maggie Hassan on Why She Cannot Go Home During COVID-19 | NowThis
U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, and U.S. Representative Chris Pappas held events in Portsmouth and Manchester today to highlight the importance of clean energy investments, including offshore wind and solar power, as well as the economic and workforce development opportunities associated with these clean energy investments.
First, Senator Hassan, Secretary Granholm, and Representative Pappas held an outdoor roundtable in Portsmouth with business and education leaders to discuss the benefits of investing in offshore wind for New Hampshire. Following that roundtable, Senator Hassan joined Secretary Granholm, Representative Pappas, and city leaders in Manchester to view the ongoing construction of the city’s new solar project at the repurposed site of a former landfill, and discussed how new renewable energy and energy efficiency measures will help bring down utility costs for Manchester and reduce carbon emissions.
Summary
Current Position: US Senator since 2017 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): State Senator from 2004 – 2010
Other Positions: Chair, Public and Municipal Affairs sub-committee Vice Chair, Energy, Environment, and Economic Development sub-committee
Featured Quote: @POTUS just signed bipartisan legislation into law that will help prevent victim services from being cut. This is great news — and I’ll continue working to ensure that survivors of violent crimes are supported and that their perpetrators are brought to justice.
Featured Video: Sen. Maggie Hassan on Why She Cannot Go Home During COVID-19 | NowThis
U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, and U.S. Representative Chris Pappas held events in Portsmouth and Manchester today to highlight the importance of clean energy investments, including offshore wind and solar power, as well as the economic and workforce development opportunities associated with these clean energy investments.
First, Senator Hassan, Secretary Granholm, and Representative Pappas held an outdoor roundtable in Portsmouth with business and education leaders to discuss the benefits of investing in offshore wind for New Hampshire. Following that roundtable, Senator Hassan joined Secretary Granholm, Representative Pappas, and city leaders in Manchester to view the ongoing construction of the city’s new solar project at the repurposed site of a former landfill, and discussed how new renewable energy and energy efficiency measures will help bring down utility costs for Manchester and reduce carbon emissions.
Senator Hassan is focused on strengthening national security; protecting Social Security and Medicare; ensuring that veterans get the services that they need and deserve; combating climate change and preserving our natural resources; and protecting a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions.
Senator Hassan’s committee assignments allow her to focus on these as well as other critical priorities facing New Hampshire’s families, small businesses, and economy. She is a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) Committee; the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee; the Finance Committee; and the Joint Economic Committee.
Senator Hassan was drawn to public service as an advocate fighting to ensure that children like her son Ben, who experiences severe disabilities, would be fully included in their communities and have the same opportunities that all parents want for their children.
In 1999, then-Governor Shaheen asked her to serve on the Advisory Committee to the Adequacy in Education and Finance Commission. Her experience as a business attorney and as a parent of a child who experiences disabilities enabled her to provide a unique perspective as the commission did its work.
Senator Hassan was first elected to the New Hampshire Senate in 2004, serving the people of the 23rd District, which included ten Seacoast towns. During her six years in office, she was selected by her colleagues to serve as President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader of the State Senate.
In 2013, she was sworn in as the 81st Governor of New Hampshire. Throughout her two terms as Governor, she responsibly balanced the state budget; created a business-friendly environment that encouraged innovation and saw New Hampshire’s unemployment rate drop to among the lowest in the nation; worked to implement a comprehensive, hands-on approach to the heroin, fentanyl and opioid crisis; and froze in-state tuition at state universities for the first time in 25 years while lowering tuition at community colleges.
Maggie Hassan was born on February 27, 1958. She earned her B.A. from Brown University and her J.D. from the Northeastern School of Law. She and her husband, Tom, who serves as the President of School Year Abroad, live in Newfields and are the proud parents of two children, Ben (32) and Meg (28).
Hassan first ran for the New Hampshire Senate in 2002.[5][6] She lost to incumbent Russell Prescott, but ran against Prescott again in 2004 and won.[7][8] Hassan was elected to a total of three two-year terms, representing New Hampshire’s 23rd district from January 2005 to December 2010. She became the majority leader in 2008 before losing reelection in a 2010 rematch with Prescott.[9]
In 2016, Hassan ran for the U.S. Senate and narrowly defeated Kelly Ayotte, the Republican incumbent, by about a thousand votes (about 0.1% of the total).[10][11] She is serving with Jeanne Shaheen, another former governor. Hassan and Shaheen are the only two women in American history to be elected both governor and U.S. senator, and both coincidentally in the same state.[12]
In 1996, Hassan began working as an attorney for Sullivan, Weinstein & McQuay, a Boston corporate defense and business law firm.[21] In 1999, then-New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen appointed her as a citizen advisor to the Advisory Committee to the Adequacy in Education and Finance Commission.[17]
In November 2010, Hassan lost to Prescott in a second rematch, 53% to 47%,[24] as Republicans regained control of both the state House and state Senate.[25]
Tenure
Hassan served on the Capital Budget Committee and the Budget Conference Committee.[26] She helped pass the 2008–09 budget.[27]
In 2008, Senate President Sylvia Larsen chose Hassan to serve as Senate Majority Leader, the number two position in the New Hampshire Senate. Larsen chose her for the position because she wanted someone who would fight to get the Democratic caucus to support the same agenda, sometimes creating friction between Hassan and her Republican colleagues.[28]
During her tenure as majority leader, Hassan had a major role in legalizing same-sex marriage in New Hampshire.[28] She presented three versions of a same-sex marriage bill, one of which narrowly gained enough support to pass both chambers.[28]
Hassan helped pass the 2010–11 budget.[29] This budget increased spending by over a billion dollars and contained 33 tax and fee increases, including taxing campsites like hotel rooms, a so-called “income tax” on New Hampshire business, and raising vehicle registration fees.[30][31][32]
Committee assignments
Capital Budget Committee
Commerce, Labor and Consumer Protection
Finance
Public and Municipal Affairs (Chair)
Energy, Environment, and Economic Development (Vice Chair)
In October 2011, Hassan announced her candidacy for governor of New Hampshire.[33] She won the Democratic primary with 53% of the vote, defeating former state senator Jacalyn Cilley, who received 39%.[34] Hassan was endorsed by former U.S. PresidentBill Clinton.[35][9] Campaign themes included implementing the Affordable Care Act.[36]
In the general election, Hassan defeated Republican nominee Ovide M. Lamontagne, 55% to 43%, carrying every county in the state.[37] Matt Burgess managed her campaign and senior consultants included media consultant Joe Slade White.[38]
In June 2014, Hassan filed to run for reelection.[40] In August 2014, New Hampshire Attorney GeneralJoseph Foster, a Hassan appointee, ordered her to return $24,000 in campaign contributions that violated New Hampshire campaign finance laws.[41] In October 2014, Hassan was ordered to return another $25,000 in funds a union donated to her gubernatorial campaign because the union had not properly registered with the state as a political committee.[42]
Hassan defeated Ian Freeman in the September 9 Democratic primary and Republican nominee Walt Havenstein in the general election, 52% to 48%. She carried seven out of ten counties.[43]
Tenure
Hassan as governor.
Hassan was sworn in as governor for a two-year term on January 3, 2013. In December 2013, she was elected vice chair of the Democratic Governors Association.[44] That year, Hassan signed a bill creating a state sea level rise commission.[45][46]
During a conflict between two sides of the Demoulas family, which owns the Market Basket grocery chain, Hassan urged the family to resolve the dispute, which threatened 9,000 jobs in New Hampshire.[47]
In July 2015, Hassan vetoed a bill that would have removed the licensing requirement for carrying concealed firearms in the state.[48] In response to New Hampshire’s opioid crisis, she appointed Jack Wozmak the state’s “drug czar” in early 2015. He resigned one year later in response to complaints about his job performance.[49][50] Hassan also worked to preserve funding for Planned Parenthood clinics throughout the state.[51]
She resigned as governor at the end of January 2, 2017, to prepare for her swearing-in to the U.S. Senate. Senate president Chuck Morse became acting governor.[52]
On October 5, 2015, Hassan announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2016. She challenged Republican incumbent Kelly Ayotte.[53] The race was considered one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races of the year.[54]
Hassan was endorsed by the pro-choice Democratic political action committeeEMILY’s List, which also backed her two gubernatorial runs.[55] Hassan endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.[56] She said climate change and reproductive rights would be her top priorities if she were elected to the Senate.[57]
On November 9, the day after Election Day, Hassan was declared the winner.[58] Ayotte conceded that evening, choosing not to pursue a recount.[58]
Hassan has announced her candidacy for reelection in 2022.[59] Many anticipated a tight race against Republican Governor Chris Sununu, but as of November 2021 Sununu had decided to run for a fourth term as governor instead of for Senate.[60]
Tenure
Hassan being sworn in to the U.S. Senate by Vice President Joe Biden.
Hassan was in the Senate chamber on January 6, 2021, for the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.[62] After the Capitol was breached by rioters, Hassan, along with staff and other senators, was removed from the chambers to an undisclosed location.[63] Hassan called the event traumatizing, calling it an “insurrection” and “one of the grimmest days in the history of our country.”[63][64] The following day, she called for Trump to resign, calling him “unfit for office”.[64] She also called for an investigation into the lack of security, poor law enforcement response,[64] and how law enforcement treated the Trump supporters, which contrasted with the treatment of Black Lives Matter protestors.[63]
On June 19, 2018, a congressional intern was caught on video yelling, “Mr. President, fuck you!”, as Trump walked through the United States Capitol for a meeting with Republican congressmen.[67] On June 25, Hassan’s office confirmed that a Hassan intern, Caitlin Marriott, was the person caught on video swearing at Trump. A Hassan spokesperson confirmed that Marriott had been suspended from her position for a week and was required to return her congressional intern ID badge.[68] Hassan refused demands that she fire Marriott.[69]
In 2019, former Hassan staffers Jackson Cosko and Samantha Davis pleaded guilty to federal crimes. Cosko pleaded guilty to five felonies; following his termination from Hassan’s staff, he illegally accessed Senate computers, obtained personal information about five Republican senators, and disseminated that personal information online because he was angry about the senators’ roles in the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States. In June 2019, Cosko was sentenced to four years in prison.[70] Davis pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors in July 2019, acknowledging that she had given Cosko access to Hassan’s Senate office after he was fired and had lied to investigators about it.[71]
As of November 2021, Hassan had voted in line with President Joe Biden‘s stated position 100% of the time.[72]
In April 2022, Hassan called on the Biden administration to keep a President Trump-era immigration rule, known as Title 42, limiting migrants and asylum-seekers from crossing the southern border.[73]
In July 2019, Hassan cosponsored the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act, a bill introduced by Ben Cardin and Rob Portman that would create a new memorial that would be privately funded and constructed on federal lands within Washington, D.C. to honor journalists, photographers, and broadcasters who have died in the line of duty.[78]
Marijuana
As governor, Hassan signed legislation to legalize medical cannabis but said she would veto any bill that came to her desk to legalize recreational cannabis.[79] As of 2020, NORML, an organization that seeks legalization, gave Hassan a C− score as a U.S. senator due to her actions as governor.[80]
Minimum wage
On February 3, 2021, Hassan announced she opposes raising the federal minimum wage to $15/hour as proposed in President Biden‘s American Rescue Plan legislation.[81] On March 5, 2021, she and seven other Democratic senators voted with Republicans to block raising the minimum wage as part of the legislation.[82][83]
Personal life
Hassan and her husband Thomas were married on August 27, 1983.[84] He served as the principal of Phillips Exeter Academy from 2008 to 2015, and as the president of School Year Abroad since 2016.[85] When he was principal, the Hassans did not live in the Governor’s Mansion, instead living in a colonial mansion on the school campus provided to them as part of her husband’s employment.[5] After he left his position at Phillips Exeter, the Hassans bought and moved into a home in Newfields, New Hampshire.[a][5][86]
^“Hassan Sworn In As U.S. Senator”. New Hampshire Public Radio. Associated Press. January 3, 2017. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is the principal oversight committee of the United States Senate. As a member of the Committee, and chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight, Senator Hassan works to oversee the Department of Homeland Security and other critical homeland security priorities to keep America safe and secure – including cybersecurity and drug interdiction efforts. Through her work on the Committee, the Senator is also focused on holding agencies accountable for maintaining fiscal responsibility and protecting taxpayer dollars.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) has broad jurisdiction over America’s health care, education, employment, and retirement policies. As a member of the HELP Committee, Senator Hassan has worked on legislative efforts to combat the heroin, fentanyl, and opioid crisis; ensure that every Granite Stater has access to quality, affordable health care; lower the cost of prescription drugs; ensure that every child has access to a quality K-12 public education; and to reduce the burden of student loan debt.
The Senate Finance Committee has jurisdiction over matters relating to taxation and revenues, trade agreements and tariffs, as well as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other health and human services programs. In her role on this committee, Senator Hassan will fight for vital New Hampshire priorities including protecting and strengthening Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; working to provide tax relief to hard-working families and small businesses and end corporate special interest tax giveaways; and ensuring that U.S. trade policy supports small businesses and workers.
The Joint Economic Committee – a joint committee of the United States Senate and House – is tasked with overseeing the health of the United States economy and recommending policies to build a stronger economic future.
The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs conducts oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and advances legislation on matters pertaining to veterans, including education, health care, VA benefits, and job training. In her role on this committee, Senator Hassan will work across the aisle to expand opportunity and strengthen care for veterans, while working to build a country that is ever-worthy of their service.
New Hampshire is divided into 2 congressional districts, each represented by a member of the United States House of Representatives.
The districts are currently represented in the 117th United States Congress by 2 Democrats.
List of members of the New Hampshire United States House delegation, their terms, their district boundaries, and the districts’ political ratings according to the CPVI. The delegation has a total of 2 members, both Democrats.
New Hampshire is divided into 2 congressional districts, each represented by a member of the United States House of Representatives.
The districts are currently represented in the 117th United States Congress by 2 Democrats.
List of members of the New Hampshire United States House delegation, their terms, their district boundaries, and the districts’ political ratings according to the CPVI. The delegation has a total of 2 members, both Democrats.
Current Position: Governor since 2017 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 Governor Former Position(s): New Hampshire Executive Council from 2011 – 2017
Featured Quote: Amid the height of the pandemic NH was one of the few states to invest in broadband expansion with 4,500 previously unserved customers connected. With the signing of bipartisan legislation today, we’re continuing our commitment to connecting rural communities in a sustainable way
Featured Video: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu on how the state avoided large deficits
New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu on Sunday criticized members of his party who are looking to retaliate against 13 GOP House members who voted to pass President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, saying they “have their priorities screwed up.”
“When we talk about kicking people off of committees because they don’t like one vote or the other — again, I just think they have their priorities screwed up,” Sununu told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”
The comments from the Republican governor underscore the mixed views members of the party have on the infrastructure package, which was passed with Republican support in both the House and Senate, prompting some hard-liners to discuss booting their GOP colleagues from committee spots, even though the effort faces little chance of succeeding.
Pressed by Bash on what the retaliation efforts say about his party, Sununu said: “Again, I think it says that we have our priorities wrong. Republicans have had huge successes with cutting taxes, limiting government, creating opportunities in schools, supporting parents, making sure kids — those are our wins, and those are American wins.”
Today, Governor Chris Sununu issued the following expanded statement regarding President Biden’s vaccine mandate last week:
“Instead of working collaboratively with Governors across America to increase the vaccination rate, President Biden skips our weekly calls and issues overreaching mandates from Washington,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “I am working directly with my fellow Governors to see how best we can push back against this federal overreach. I am as pro-vaccine as it gets, but I do not support this mandate from Washington as it is not the answer.”
Summary
Current Position: Governor since 2017 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 Governor Former Position(s): New Hampshire Executive Council from 2011 – 2017
Featured Quote: Amid the height of the pandemic NH was one of the few states to invest in broadband expansion with 4,500 previously unserved customers connected. With the signing of bipartisan legislation today, we’re continuing our commitment to connecting rural communities in a sustainable way
Featured Video: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu on how the state avoided large deficits
New Hampshire Republican Gov. Chris Sununu on Sunday criticized members of his party who are looking to retaliate against 13 GOP House members who voted to pass President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, saying they “have their priorities screwed up.”
“When we talk about kicking people off of committees because they don’t like one vote or the other — again, I just think they have their priorities screwed up,” Sununu told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.”
The comments from the Republican governor underscore the mixed views members of the party have on the infrastructure package, which was passed with Republican support in both the House and Senate, prompting some hard-liners to discuss booting their GOP colleagues from committee spots, even though the effort faces little chance of succeeding.
Pressed by Bash on what the retaliation efforts say about his party, Sununu said: “Again, I think it says that we have our priorities wrong. Republicans have had huge successes with cutting taxes, limiting government, creating opportunities in schools, supporting parents, making sure kids — those are our wins, and those are American wins.”
Today, Governor Chris Sununu issued the following expanded statement regarding President Biden’s vaccine mandate last week:
“Instead of working collaboratively with Governors across America to increase the vaccination rate, President Biden skips our weekly calls and issues overreaching mandates from Washington,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “I am working directly with my fellow Governors to see how best we can push back against this federal overreach. I am as pro-vaccine as it gets, but I do not support this mandate from Washington as it is not the answer.”
Among his accomplishments during his first term was delivering a balanced state budget with no new taxes or fees and establishing full day kindergarten. Additionally, Governor Sununu provided property tax relief by returning $65 million to cities and towns for roads, bridges, and safer schools, invested $275 million in clean water projects, expanded educational opportunities for students, and signed job creating business tax cuts into law.
Governor Sununu’s leadership has garnered a number of awards including the New Futures’ 2017 President’s Award for championing policies that improve the health and wellness of all Granite Staters. He is one of only five Governors honored by AARP with their Capitol Caregiver 2017 award and received CASA’s 2018 John McDermott Champion of Children Award.
In 2018, Governor Sununu announced the nationwide launch of his Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative to engage employers and empower workplaces to provide support for people recovering from substance use disorder.
Before being elected Governor in 2016, Chris served three terms on the New Hampshire Executive Council representing 32 cities and towns in Rockingham and Hillsborough counties.
In 2010, Chris led a group of investors in the buyout of Waterville Valley Resort where he worked as Chief Executive Officer and was in charge of an expansion of the ski resort done in cooperation with the United States Forest Service.
An environmental engineer, Chris worked for ten years cleaning up hazardous waste sites across the country.
In 1998, Chris completed a five-month through-hike of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia.
Chris grew up in Salem, NH. He graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) with a BS in Civil/Environmental Engineering.
Governor Sununu lives in Newfields with his wife, Valerie, and their three children, Calvin, Edie, and Leo.
Sununu’s 2021 budget proposal included phasing out New Hampshire’s only state income tax—on dividends and interest income (which Sununu states unfairly targets senior citizens more likely to be living off those types of income); slightly reducing selected other taxes; and instituting targeted student loan relief for those entering the healthcare, biotechnology, and social work fields.[2]
Sununu is one of eight siblings,[4] including older brother John E. Sununu, a former U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative.[4] He was born and raised in Salem, New Hampshire.[5]
His father’s paternal ancestors came to the United States from the Middle East around the start of the 20th century, while his paternal grandmother was an immigrant from El Salvador, born to a prominent Salvadoran family of Lebanese, Hispanic and Greek descent who were Greek Orthodox Christians. His father’s paternal ancestry is Lebanese and Greek, both from the Greek Orthodox communities in Jerusalem.[6] Despite the family’s emigration from Jerusalem, some members of the family were from Beirut. His father’s maternal ancestry was Greek and Hispanic.[7] His father, John, was born in Havana, Cuba. His paternal grandfather, also named John, was born in the United States, and most of the last two generations of Sununus were also born in the U.S.[8] His mother, Nancy (née Hayes), is descended from emigrants from Ireland, Scotland and England.[citation needed] When he took office as governor, Sununu was sworn in with a Greek Orthodox New Testament Bible belonging to his family.[9]
For ten years,[when?] Sununu worked as an environmental engineer designing systems and solutions for cleaning up waste sites[12] under the supervision of licensed engineers.[13] He specialized in soil and groundwater remediation, wastewater treatment plants, and landfill designs.[12] In 2002, he became an “engineer in training” in California.[13]
From 2006 to 2010, Sununu was an owner and director of Sununu Enterprises, a family business and strategic consulting group in Exeter, New Hampshire. It focuses on local, national and international real estate development, venture technologies and business acquisitions.[citation needed]
In 2010, Sununu led a group of investors in the buyout of Waterville Valley Resort, where he worked as Chief Executive Officer, employing over 700 people in the White Mountains region. Sununu led an aggressive expansion effort of the ski resort in cooperation with the United States Forest Service. The resort offers skiing, golf, tennis, mountain biking, and an ice arena.[14]
New Hampshire Executive Council
Sununu was a member of the New Hampshire Executive Council from 2011 to 2017.[15]
10-Year Highway Plan
On December 16, 2015, the Governor’s Advisory Commission on the Intermodal Transportation (GACIT) presented the 10-Year Plan for 2017–2026 to the governor of New Hampshire.[16] Sununu, as a voting member of GACIT, helped develop the blueprint, which “aggressively addressed financial constraint, assuming federal funding of about $160 million per year.”[17]
Ward Bird
In 2010, Sununu joined the other four Executive Council members in voting unanimously to release Ward Bird from his mandatory three- to six-year prison sentence for threatening another person with a gun. The council voted to grant Bird a full pardon. Bird was convicted of brandishing a gun at a woman who trespassed on his posted property in 2008. But Lynch, who had never granted a pardon during his tenure, vetoed the measure, saying the judicial system had given Bird’s case a thorough review and he would not undermine it. The council then immediately voted to commute Bird’s sentence, and Lynch let that vote stand.[18]
Sununu at a 2016 gubernatorial candidate forum steered by former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. and former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman.
Managed Medicaid
In 2011, Sununu led a series of public hearings to review proposals for Managed Medicaid, a program to help New Hampshire Medicaid recipients to coordinate their health care.[19][failed verification] It also helps Medicaid recipients with chronic diseases like diabetes, asthma, obesity, and mental illness. Through this program, Medicaid recipients have wellness and prevention programs as a part of their Medicaid benefit.[citation needed]
In 2014, a 300-page, $292 million amendment to the state’s Medicaid program came before the Executive Council only two hours before the scheduled vote. Republicans Joseph Kenney and Sununu urged Governor Lynch and other Democrats present not to vote for the contract, but lost the vote 3–2, along party lines.[20]
Sununu was reelected, defeating Democratic nominee Molly Kelly, 52.8% to 45.7%.[22] He was endorsed by the New Hampshire Troopers Association, New Hampshire Police Association, Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire, National Federation of Independent Businesses, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 104. He was also endorsed by numerous New Hampshire news outlets, including The Portsmouth Herald, The Union Leader, The Eagle-Tribune, Nashua Telegraph, Foster’s Daily Democrat, Exeter News-Letter, Seacoast Online, and the Hampton Union.[citation needed]
On May 14, 2019, Sununu announced that he would seek a third term as governor, rather than challenging incumbent Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen in the 2020 election.[23]
After securing the Republican nomination, Sununu received 516,609 votes (65.1%) against Democratic nominee Dan Feltes in November 2020, the highest number of votes for an elected official in a statewide race,[24] and outpaced President Donald Trump (365,654; 45.4%) by about 151,000 votes of approximately 793,000 cast, as Trump lost New Hampshire’s electoral votes.
Tenure
Sununu was sworn in as governor on January 5, 2017. He was sworn in for his second term on January 3, 2019,[25] and his third term on January 7, 2021.[26]
In 2018, Sununu announced the nationwide launch of his Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative to engage employers and empower workplaces to provide support for people recovering from substance use disorder. More than 40,000 employees in New Hampshire work for a designated Recovery Friendly Workplace.[citation needed] In October 2018, Sununu introduced the state’s new “hub and spoke model” for addiction recovery. The model includes nine regional hubs (in Berlin, Concord, Dover, Hanover, Keene, Laconia, Littleton, Manchester, and Nashua), which coordinate with local “spokes” to provide addiction recovery services. Hubs receive $9 million a year, stemming from $45.8 million in federal aid to combat the state’s opioid epidemic.[27] In March 2019, Sununu announced that an additional $12 million had been allocated to New Hampshire to fight the opioid epidemic.[28]
On May 3, 2019, Sununu vetoed a bill that would have repealed the death penalty. He signed the veto at a community center named after Michael Briggs; as drafted, the bill would not have applied to Michael Addison (who killed Briggs in 2006). The veto was overridden.[29]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sununu has criticized members of Congress and members of the Biden administration for the lack of relief packages.[30] He has also criticized members of Congress for getting early access to COVID-19 vaccines.[31] In November 2020, Sununu instituted a statewide mask mandate,[32] which sparked protests outside his house.[33] He opposed what he characterized as federal overreach on mandates, saying, “I am as pro-vaccine as it gets, but I do not support this mandate from Washington, as it is not the answer.”[34]
Unlike other Northeast Republican governors, like Charlie Baker, Larry Hogan, or Phil Scott, all of whom chose not to support President Trump for reelection, Sununu did, and voted for him.[38] He revealed in May of 2019 that former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld approached him to discuss a potential primary challenge to Trump in 2020, but Sununu described himself as a “Trump guy through and through.” Sununu accepted Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 United States presidential election.[39]
Economic and fiscal
Sununu being interviewed on the Rich Girard radio program, February 2016
Sununu opposes New Hampshire’s 5% tax on dividends and interest income.[2] After his 2020 reelection, he called for newly elected Republican majorities in the New Hampshire House and Senate to pass a law phasing out this tax by 2026, saying that it unfairly targets senior citizens living off of these types of income and their retirement accounts.[2] He also sought to slightly reduce other taxes, and to institute student loan relief for those going into health care and social work.[2]
Sununu has supported tax cuts for businesses and a reduction in property taxes.[40] After the 2018 midterm elections, which gave Democrats control of the New Hampshire legislature, Sununu vowed to veto their proposal to create a broader state income tax, as well as several other new taxes and fees. Sununu signed a bill making it easier for medical facilities to be licensed to treat veterans.[41] He also opposed the Senate’s Republican health care plan in 2017, citing that the proposal would negatively affect Medicaid and addiction recovery services in the state.[42]
Sununu supports legislation to provide state-funded “school choice vouchers to disadvantaged and low-income students”; such vouchers could be used at religious and private schools.[43] After the 2018 midterm elections, in which Democrats regained control of the New Hampshire legislature, Sununu vetoed a bill to establish a paid family leave policy that would have instituted a statewide payroll tax.[44]
Sununu nominated 27 New Hampshire “opportunity zones” to receive federal tax breaks for low-income areas.[45][46] These included Waterville Valley, a low-income town that is the locale of the Sununu family’s Waterville Valley Resorts. The family and resort did not take advantage of the tax breaks but later expanded their investment in the resort, allowing them to, if they later pursued the tax advantages, “defer paying taxes on those gains for seven years and get a 15% discount on the tax liability. In addition, they could avoid paying taxes on any future capital gains from the resort if they hold on to it for a decade”.[47]
Energy
In late June 2018 and again on June 4, 2019, Sununu vetoed New Hampshire Senate Bill 446, which would have increased the limit for renewable energy projects participating in net metering from 1 megawatt (MW) to 5 MW. A veto override vote held in 2018 by the New Hampshire House of Representatives failed to achieve a two-thirds majority.[48]
In a statement about his veto of Senate Bill 446 (and a separate bill, Senate Bill 365), Sununu said the bills would collectively cost New Hampshire electric ratepayers (consumers) around $100 million over three years. “While I agree that expanding net metering could be a benefit to our state, Senate Bill 446 would cost ratepayers at least $5 to $10 million annually and is a handout to large-scale energy developers”, Sununu said. “These immense projects should use incentives already available and compete on their own merits.”[48][49]
In his 2020 budget address, Sununu proposed the creation of the New Hampshire Department of Energy, which he said will “streamline government” and “eliminate redundancies.”[50] According to Sununu, “The Department will combine many of the current functions of the Public Utilities Commission with the Office of Strategic Initiatives and ensures that a unified approach to energy policy, while keeping core regulatory functions separate from the programmatic and policy elements.”[50] One focus of the Department will be the development of offshore wind along New Hampshire’s shoreline in the Gulf of Maine, a longstanding priority of Sununu’s.[51]
Social
Sununu has said that he does not oppose abortion rights, but does not support taxpayer funding for abortions and supports a ban on partial-birth abortion.[52] In 2015, as a member of the New Hampshire Executive Council, he voted to defund Planned Parenthood.[53] He later reversed his position and voted to restore the funding.[54] In 2018, he said “I’m pro-choice. I support Roe v. Wade.”[55] Sununu had supported other contracts with Planned Parenthood.[56] In 2022, in response to reports that the Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade, he said, “I’m a pro-choice governor” and that he supports abortion rights in New Hampshire.[57]
Sununu vetoed a bill that would ban people from carrying firearms on school property.[58]
During a 2016 gubernatorial debate, he said he opposed the settling of 10,000 Syrian refugees in the United States.[59]
In 2018, Sununu said he would refuse to send the National Guard to the border to enforce Trump’s “zero-tolerance” policy in regard to undocumented immigrants.[62]
Sununu is seen as supportive of LGBT rights; he said that he does not get involved with the state’s GOP platform issues and spoke at an event for the Log Cabin Republicans, a political action committee that supports same-sex marriage and other gay rights.[63] In 2018, Sununu signed into law two bills intended to protect LGBT rights, one prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and one banning conversion therapy from being used on minors.[64] In 2019, he allowed a bill to become a law without his signature that created a non-binary gender option for driver’s licenses.[65][66]
Sununu opposes legalizing recreational marijuana.[67] In December 2018, he said he would “absolutely” veto legislation “regardless of what the language looks like.”[68] In 2022, Sununu reversed his opinion on the legalization of recreational marijuana during a conversation with the New England Council.[69]
In 2020, Sununu joined Democrats in supporting permanent funding for conservation efforts in the U.S., and particularly in New Hampshire.[70]
Law enforcement reform
After the murder of George Floyd, Sununu established the New Hampshire Commission on Law Enforcement Accountability, Community, and Transparency (LEACT). LEACT was created to examine police training and procedures and to report and investigate police misconduct and the relationship between law enforcement and New Hampshire communities.[71] It comprises people from civil rights organizations, mental health organizations, the president of the Manchester NAACP, law enforcement representatives, the executive director of the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights, the director of the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training council, and the New Hampshire Attorney General.
In September 2020, LEACT submitted 50 recommendations to Sununu, ranging from the creation of an independent oversight commission to review allegations of police misconduct to the recommendation that all police officers in the state wear body cameras.[72] Sununu endorsed all the recommendations, and said he would direct the New Hampshire State Police to comply with the recommendation to use body cameras.
After the release of LEACT’s initial recommendations, Sununu said, “As I have long said, New Hampshire has some of the best law enforcement in the country, but there is always room to improve, grow, and adapt.”[73]
COVID-19
In December 2021, Sununu asked President Joe Biden and FEMA for emergency response teams to deal with a surge in COVID-19 cases in New Hampshire [74]
Personal life
In 1998, Chris Sununu completed a five-month through-hike of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia.
^McDannald, Alexander Hopkins (1991). The Americana Annual: An Encyclopedia of Current Events. Americana Corporation. p. 156. John Henry Sununu was born on July 2 , 1939 , in Havana , Cuba , while his parents were on a business trip . His father was descended from Lebanese and Greek immigrants…
^Hoffman, David (1988-11-20). “Sununu Describes his Diverse Roots, After Flood of Inquiries”. Washington Post. ISSN0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-06-19. His maternal grandmother, Sununu said, was Greek; his mother, Victoria Dada, was born in El Salvador. That part of his family “makes me part Greek American and part Hispanic American,” he said. “It’s a varied heritage, and I’m proud of it.”
Chris believes that a strong New Hampshire economy is built on a pro-growth business environment, free of repressive regulations and onerous taxes. As a business manager with more than 800 employees, he understands first-hand how policy in Concord affects New Hampshire’s businesses and the people who own them. Chris’s plan to restore the Granite State as the job engine of New England includes:
Reducing and simplifying business taxes Investing in workforce readiness Developing long-term energy and environmental solutions Prioritizing infrastructure enhancements
Chris has pledged to keep New Hampshire a low-tax state, opposing a Sales or Income Tax and any expansions on current taxes and fees.
Education
Education
When New Hampshire does it New Hampshire’s way, we do it better than everybody else. Chris believes that to be especially true for education. A father of three young children, Chris has seen up close the erosion of school choice and the adverse effects of Common Core standards. He’ll be a governor that is committed to restoring local control in our schools, providing students a better path to success and empowering teachers to do what they do best. His plan includes:
Pushing back on Washington D.C. bureaucracy Replacing Common Core with a New Hampshire test built for New Hampshire students Promoting school choice through increased funding for charter schools Empowering teachers to better prepare their students
Chris is an environmental engineer by trade and spent years cleaning up hazardous waste sites and working to implement renewable energy programs. For too long now, New Hampshire has been led by governors who lack this first-hand perspective. As governor, Chris will shake up the status quo.
Health Care
New Hampshire is among the healthiest states in the country, but also has some of the highest healthcare costs. That’s unacceptable. Chris will address what governors over the past decade have failed to by:
Promoting broader competition amongst providers to drive down costs Opposing Obamacare regulations
Heroin & Opioid Crisis
On his first day as governor, Chris will take swift action to address the state’s crippling opioid crisis. He’ll bring sensible solutions and a renewed sense of leadership to the Governor’s Office. Chris’s plan begins with:
Implementing aggressive prevention education programs for students, parents and business managers Removing roadblocks to recovery by expanding available treatment and state funding Supporting law enforcement efforts to combat crisis on the front lines Increasing efficiency in prescription drug monitoring programs Read Chris’s top priorities for New Hampshire’s drug crisis
Energy
As CEO of a major ski resort and one of the highest energy users in New Hampshire, Chris has a unique perspective on energy policy.
Reducing and stabilizing energy rates for New Hampshire consumers Promoting partnerships between public and private energy stakeholders
The General Court of New Hampshire is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The lower house is the New Hampshire House of Representatives with 400 members. The upper house is the New Hampshire Senate with 24 members. This ratio of 1 Senate seat for every 16.67 House seats makes New Hampshire’s ratio of upper house to lower house seats the largest in the country.
During the 2018-2020 session, the New Hampshire General Court was controlled by Democrats, with a 14-10 majority in the Senate and a 230-156-1 majority in the House, with 13 vacant seats at the end of the session. On November 3, 2020, Republicans won control of the New Hampshire General Court by winning a 14-10 majority in the Senate and a 213-187 majority in the House.
The General Court convenes in the New Hampshire State House in downtown Concord. The State House opened in 1819. The House of Representatives continues to meet in its original chambers, making Representatives Hall the oldest chamber in the United States still in continuous legislative use.[citation needed] When numbered seats were installed in Representatives Hall, the number thirteen was purposely omitted in deference to triskaidekaphobia.
The annual pay for legislators is set by law at $100.00.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire’s Republican-controlled Legislature is considering a preemptive strike against sweeping election and voter-access legislation being debated in Washington, D.C.
The House Election Law Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a bill amendment that would keep New Hampshire’s election system in place for state and county races if Congress enacts the “For the People Act.” The legislation, a top priority of Democrats after the divisive 2020 election, would touch nearly every aspect of the electoral process.
The proposal is aimed at curtailing the influence of big money in politics and removing hurdles to voting with changes, such as automatic voter registration and 24-hour ballot drop boxes. But opponents argue it includes provisions that New Hampshire lawmakers and courts already have rejected and would destroy a system that works well in the state.
Summary
The General Court of New Hampshire is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The lower house is the New Hampshire House of Representatives with 400 members. The upper house is the New Hampshire Senate with 24 members. This ratio of 1 Senate seat for every 16.67 House seats makes New Hampshire’s ratio of upper house to lower house seats the largest in the country.
During the 2018-2020 session, the New Hampshire General Court was controlled by Democrats, with a 14-10 majority in the Senate and a 230-156-1 majority in the House, with 13 vacant seats at the end of the session. On November 3, 2020, Republicans won control of the New Hampshire General Court by winning a 14-10 majority in the Senate and a 213-187 majority in the House.
The General Court convenes in the New Hampshire State House in downtown Concord. The State House opened in 1819. The House of Representatives continues to meet in its original chambers, making Representatives Hall the oldest chamber in the United States still in continuous legislative use.[citation needed] When numbered seats were installed in Representatives Hall, the number thirteen was purposely omitted in deference to triskaidekaphobia.
The annual pay for legislators is set by law at $100.00.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire’s Republican-controlled Legislature is considering a preemptive strike against sweeping election and voter-access legislation being debated in Washington, D.C.
The House Election Law Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a bill amendment that would keep New Hampshire’s election system in place for state and county races if Congress enacts the “For the People Act.” The legislation, a top priority of Democrats after the divisive 2020 election, would touch nearly every aspect of the electoral process.
The proposal is aimed at curtailing the influence of big money in politics and removing hurdles to voting with changes, such as automatic voter registration and 24-hour ballot drop boxes. But opponents argue it includes provisions that New Hampshire lawmakers and courts already have rejected and would destroy a system that works well in the state.
The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 204 districts across the state created from divisions of the state’s counties, each making up about 3,000 residents for every one legislator.
Unlike many legislative chambers, there is no central “aisle” to cross. Instead, there are five sections with aisles between them. Party seating location is not enforced, as seating is often decided on the personal preference of the legislator, except in the case of the sixth section, which is the speaker’s seat at the head of the hall.
Composition of the House of Representatives As of January 2021, the composition of the House of Representatives will be:
The New Hampshire Senate has been meeting since 1784. It consists of 24 members representing Senate districts based on population. As of the 2021-22 legislative session, there will be 14 Republicans and 10 Democrats in the Senate.
The New Hampshire State House press covers the New Hampshire State House for newspapers, news services and other news-gathering operations. The New Hampshire General Court website has calendars and journals for both the House and the Senate.
Pew Research Center in 2014 reported New Hampshire had one of the nation’s smallest statehouse press corps, with five full-time reporters and an additional nine part-time reporters.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire’s Republican-controlled Legislature is considering a preemptive strike against sweeping election and voter-access legislation being debated in Washington, D.C.
The House Election Law Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a bill amendment that would keep New Hampshire’s election system in place for state and county races if Congress enacts the “For the People Act.” The legislation, a top priority of Democrats after the divisive 2020 election, would touch nearly every aspect of the electoral process.
The proposal is aimed at curtailing the influence of big money in politics and removing hurdles to voting with changes, such as automatic voter registration and 24-hour ballot drop boxes. But opponents argue it includes provisions that New Hampshire lawmakers and courts already have rejected and would destroy a system that works well in the state.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The audit of a controversial legislative election in New Hampshire began Tuesday with the voting machines and boxes of ballots arriving at the site where they’ll be reviewed.
A team of three auditors has until May 27 by law to complete their work on 2020 election results from four state House seats in the town of Windham. The entire process at the Edward Cross Training Center in Pembroke is being livestreamed.
Though Republicans won all four seats, a recount requested by a losing Democratic candidate showed the Republicans had received hundreds more votes than were originally counted.
Summary
Federal & state elections on the ballot: US Senator, 2 US House members, Governor, and State Senate and House members
Ballot measures: None
The New Hampshire ElectionsDivision, part of the Secretary of State, oversees all New Hampshire elections.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire’s Republican-controlled Legislature is considering a preemptive strike against sweeping election and voter-access legislation being debated in Washington, D.C.
The House Election Law Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a bill amendment that would keep New Hampshire’s election system in place for state and county races if Congress enacts the “For the People Act.” The legislation, a top priority of Democrats after the divisive 2020 election, would touch nearly every aspect of the electoral process.
The proposal is aimed at curtailing the influence of big money in politics and removing hurdles to voting with changes, such as automatic voter registration and 24-hour ballot drop boxes. But opponents argue it includes provisions that New Hampshire lawmakers and courts already have rejected and would destroy a system that works well in the state.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The audit of a controversial legislative election in New Hampshire began Tuesday with the voting machines and boxes of ballots arriving at the site where they’ll be reviewed.
A team of three auditors has until May 27 by law to complete their work on 2020 election results from four state House seats in the town of Windham. The entire process at the Edward Cross Training Center in Pembroke is being livestreamed.
Though Republicans won all four seats, a recount requested by a losing Democratic candidate showed the Republicans had received hundreds more votes than were originally counted.
About
Contact
Locations
Elections Division State House, Room 204 107 North Main Street Concord, N.H. 03301 Phone: 603-271-3242 Fax: 603-271-6316
Register to vote only in the town or ward in which you actually live
Not have been convicted of a felony, unless you are past your final discharge
Not have been ever convicted of bribery or intimidation relating to elections
How to register
New Hampshire residents cannot use the National Voter Registration form
New Hampshire strongly prefers that residents register to vote in person
If you cannot register to vote in person, call your town or city clerk and ask them to mail you a New Hampshire Voter Registration Form. This form is not available online. You can only get this form from your town or city clerk
Once you get the New Hampshire voter registration form, fill it out completely and send it back to the address on the form.
If you have any questions, please contact your Local Election Office
Election Day registration If you have missed the voter registration deadline, you can still register to vote and a cast a ballot at the same time on Election Day. Simply go to your regular polling place or early voting site to register and vote. Contact your Local Election Office for questions about the process or identification requirements.
Voting Rights restoration
If you have been convicted of a felony and have questions about whether you can register to vote, visit Restore Your Vote to determine your eligibility.
You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation.
If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.
Voting with Disabilities
All polling places have accessible equipment for voting. The vast majority of polling places are handicapped accessible.
Any voter after appearing at the polling place location prior to the closing of the polls, who declare to the moderator under oath that said voter is unable to access a polling place due to disability shall, upon the voter’s request, have the required documents delivered to the voter outside the guardrail by the town clerk or assistant. The absentee ballot delivered by the town clerk or assistant shall be processed using the same procedures as any other absentee ballot.
You may vote by absentee ballot in New Hampshire if:
you will be absent on the day of any state election from the county, city, or town in which you are registered to vote
you are unable appear in public on Election Day because of your observance of a religious commitment
you are unable to vote in person by reason of physical disability
you are unable to vote in person by reason of military service
you are unable to appear at any time during polling hours at your polling place because an employment obligation (including the care of children or infirm adults, with or without compensation) requires you to remain physically at work or to be in transit to or from work from the time the polls open until after the time the polls close
How to get Absentee ballot
Use our Absentee Ballot form below to prepare your application.
Sign and date the form. This is very important!
Return your completed application to your Local Election Office as soon as possible. We’ll provide the mailing address for you.
All Local Election Offices will accept mailed or hand-delivered forms. If it’s close to the deadline, call and see if your Local Election Office will let you fax or email the application.
Make sure your application is received by the deadline. Your application must actually arrive by this time — simply being postmarked by the deadline is insufficient.
Please contact your Local Election Office if you have any further questions about the exact process.
What to do next
Once you receive the ballot, carefully read and follow the instructions.
Sign and date where indicated.
Mail your voted ballot back to the address indicated on the return envelope.
Your voted ballot must arrive by the deadline or it will not be counted.
Absentee ballot application deadline
By Mail: No specific deadline. We recommend requesting your ballot at least 7 days before Election Day.
Absentee ballot submission deadline
Election Day
Absentee Ballot (form)
Elections Alert (Form)
Pollling Information
Polling Place Locator
You can find your polling place by utilizing your state resource.
If you have further questions on your polling place location, please contact your town or city clerk.
Polling Place Hours
The polling place hours of operation vary in New Hampshire. In general, polling places open between 6:00 am and 11:00 am and close at 7:00 pm. Contact your local election officials for hours in your community.
Poll Worker Information
In order to be a poll worker in New Hampshire, you must:
Be registered to vote in New Hampshire
Be at least 18 years of age
Be entitled to compensation
Political affiliation required
Be a resident of the voting district
Complete required training
Students who are 17 years of age may be appointed at the central polling place in state elections
This New Hampshire onAir hub supports its citizens to become more informed about and engaged in federal and state politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow Granite Staters.
New Hampshire onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to reinvigorate our imperiled democracy.
Virginia onAir is US onAir’s model of how a state’s onAir Council and curators can enhance a state Hub with fresh Top News and state legislature content, moderated discussions, and production of zoom aircasts with committees, interviews and debates with candidates, and presentations.
For more information about the many opportunities to learn about and engage with this New Hampshire onAir hub, go to this US onAir post on the US onAir central hub.
Our two minute vision video about the US onAir network is below.
Current Position: US Senator since 2009 Affiliation: Democrat Candidate: 2022 US Senator Former Position(s): Governor from 2013 – 2017; State Senator from 2004 – 2010
Other Positions: Chair, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies – Committee on Appropriations
Featured Quote: The data doesn’t lie–the #COVID19 crisis had a disproportionate impact on women in the workforce. Now more than ever, we must ensure women have the financial safeguards in place so they can take care of themselves & their families without worrying about their savings running out.
Featured Video: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen: New Hampshire’s pioneering senator
Current Position: US Senator since 2017 Affiliation: Democrat Former Position(s): State Senator from 2004 – 2010
Other Positions: Chair, Public and Municipal Affairs sub-committee Vice Chair, Energy, Environment, and Economic Development sub-committee
Featured Quote: @POTUS just signed bipartisan legislation into law that will help prevent victim services from being cut. This is great news — and I’ll continue working to ensure that survivors of violent crimes are supported and that their perpetrators are brought to justice.
Featured Video: Sen. Maggie Hassan on Why She Cannot Go Home During COVID-19 | NowThis
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