2 Tilton business owners aim to fill open seat in Belknap 3

Rep. Juliet Harvey-Bolia (R-Tilton) is not running for reelection, so the District 3 Statehouse seat representing Sanbornton and Tilton is up for grabs, with a pair of local business owners looking to fill the spot.

Steven Bunce

Bunce, a registered Republican with Libertarian views, is originally from rural, northwestern Connecticut, and moved to Tilton, in 2021, to start a dog training business. He is currently a member of the town’s zoning board of adjustment.

He attended Boston’s Berklee College of Music, one of the most prestigious music schools in the country, and studied electric jazz bass. Bunce became a successful touring musician in the 2010s, opening for the likes of Coolio and Snoop Dogg.

The music business isn’t easy, and Bunce shifted gears at the end of the last decade to become a dog trainer.

“I moved to Tilton, because a facility was for sale,” he said. “My business really outgrew my house.”

Bunce now owns Domestic Dog Training, and when it comes to campaigning, Bunce said he’s got the perfect job, since so many people have dogs.

“I can interface with my community a ton with my dog business,” he said. “Even when I’m meeting people in a professional capacity, I get to know them.”

Bunce said he became interested in politics with the “2016 Donald Trump Version,” but that shifted to libertarianism, with a lean on the Mises Institute views. He said the pandemic was a “great awakening” for him — and assumes was the case for many — which led him to getting more involved.

Harvey-Bolia is on the ZBA with Bunce, and when he found out she wasn’t running again, he threw his hat in the ring. Since he announced his candidacy, he’s been surprised to hear from voters something different than what he’s been hearing on the grand scale.

“It’s funny, because everyone says housing is the most contentious, and what they mean when they say that is the complete opposite here,” he said. “People are more worried we are going to lose the New Hampshire rural roots."

He said the focus on growth could potentially ruin what New Hampshire is all about. Bunce said there needs to be a balance of allowing the populated areas to grow, while maintaining the rural appeal of District 3.

On top of every voter’s list of issues is taxes.

“Everyone is complaining about property taxes,” he said.

He is vehemently opposed to an income tax, and said, as a libertarian, “the less taxes the better.”

“Any time we can lower taxes, that is great.”

Bunce said there is a power struggle between the state and towns, which he's seen specifically during his time on the ZBA.

“The hysterical part to me is that it should be up to the people on what the town becomes,” he said. “I would like to see neighborhoods be controlled by the people, the people who live there.”

He talks to his neighbors, and nobody is in favor of bringing condominium complexes to town. Bunce even bought property next door to him, because there were talks of commercial developers coming in.

“Who knows what it would have become,” Bunce said.

Bunce is “100%” for the legalization of cannabis, but said they should firm up laws for drug and alcohol use in public to make this work properly. He is also against people driving while under the influence of any substance.

Bunce takes it a step further, saying government shouldn’t be able to tell anyone what they can do in the privacy of their own home.

“I think you should be able to do anything you want,” he said. “I don’t think we should arrest people for drug use.”

Time working as a musician helped shape Bunce’s mindset, to be able to listen and interact with all walks of life. He has friends who are communist, socialist, and beyond. Some of their ideals he agrees with, some not at all. Bunce said the beauty of it is that they can debate constantly, and there’s no hate.

“The funny thing is we want the same thing, but there is a different approach to do it,” Bunce said.

Bunce said he’ll have no problem working across the aisle to get things done at the Statehouse.

“I even agree with socialists; I wish there were nobody under the poverty line,” he said. “But I think we could come up with another way, with private enterprises and nonprofits.”

Bunce said “we are getting to a weird place,” when it comes to politics. He said New Hampshire appears to have a lot of lobbying interests, something he’s noticed this election cycle.

He said he was approached by Turning Point USA with a “pretty high-paying job” to knock on doors and encourage voting. While he agrees with Turning Point on plenty, “there is some serious money behind that.” The Statehouse is large, with more than 400 members, but Bunce said it could “easily be taken over and bought and paid for,” which concerns him.

Bunce said it’s important to hit the polls to cast a ballot for who is right for their community, and in District 3, he thinks he is that guy.

“People should get out there, because we have to vote for people who care about the citizens.”

William Lawrence Jr.

Democrat William “Bill” Lawrence is the third generation owner of Bryant and Lawrence Hardware on Tilton’s Main Street. He said he runs a store often referred to as “David” in a town where “Goliaths” are pouring in.

“It’s a great downtown hardware store,” Lawrence said. “I am in retirement mode now, so I’m here at most four days a week. I still really enjoy the community, and people who have been coming in here a long time.”

Lawrence decided to get into the race because “people have been asking me for a while.”

He is currently on the Tilton Budget Committee and Parks Commission, and is a former longtime member of the town’s planning board. He has also served in “every local business association in the area.” In 2024, he was also named “Citizen of the Year for Outstanding Community Service” by the Tilton-Northfield Old Home Day Committee.

“I really like being involved,” he said. “That is important for everybody. I happen to gravitate towards anything where I can be useful to my community, and it looks like we need some other ideas in the Statehouse.”

Lawrence has put out about 50 campaign signs, and has a website for people to read about his stances. He admits he’s pretty outspoken, so people know all about him. For those who don’t, he’s canvassed in some of the remote areas of District 3, and plans to go to the Sanbornton transfer station on Friday.

“I hear that is a good meeting place,” Lawrence said.

Owning the hardware store is perfect job for Lawrence, continuing a family tradition and being able to get to know the community. He’s been at the store for the last 50 years, and being behind the counter has been the best way for him to find out what the pressing needs are.

“People bring their problems to me, plumbing, electrical,” he said. “But they’ll talk to me about everything.”

Taxes are on everyone’s mind, but he said the key is making sure they are fair. He referred to a NH Fiscal Policy Institute review of the current tax situation.

“It is putting the onus on the people that could least afford to pay taxes,” he said.

The prospect of an income tax is scary to many, but a topic that has come up in Belknap County. Many Republicans are firmly against it, but Democrats have been more open. He knows “people are very knee jerk” about it, but said it “has to be studied.”

Lawrence pointed to the NH Fiscal Policy Institute study, saying it shows income and sales taxes reduce property tax burdens.

“Nobody wants a sales or income tax in New Hampshire, but they have to understand they will be paying inequitable property tax, unless you can find other property that could be included in that besides just real estate,” Lawrence said.

Housing is an issue, and the average price of a New Hampshire home is about $100,000 more than the average U.S. citizen pays. He said the way the appraisals are done shifts the burden to the residential taxpayers.

Lawrence knows “quite a few” businesses have received huge tax rebates because of the shift of the appraisals, but residents are taking the hit.

“My business taxes went down 10%, but my residential tax went up a couple percent,” he said. “It’s kind of weird, but that is property tax for you.”

Lawrence said it is important to study how cannabis legalization is working in surrounding states. He relates it to alcohol, and points out this is handled by the state, and he doesn’t see it being much different.

“If it is going to be a money raiser, if it is going to help us, I think we should do it,” he said.

Lawrence said New Hampshire residents are resilient, and they’ll burn wood because heating oil prices are too high, or they’ll find other ways to push on. This is the New Hampshire way, he said, but acknowledged times are tough. He thinks his experience working on the budget in Tilton can help him at the Statehouse, and help work toward making life more affordable.

Lawrence knows he’ll have to do some studying to understand the mechanics of how the state government works, but knows it should be as “efficient as possible, and equitable as possible.”

He considers himself to be a reasonable person, and his experience in town politics gives him an understanding of how to work together and understand the issues, regardless of party affiliation.

“I don’t like the polarization of politics,” Lawrence said. “I think it is inconsiderate of each other and I don’t like that. I want to work together.”

The General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.