Coker relies on experience, non-partisan politics in reelection bid

MEREDITH — Rep. Matt Coker is eyeing a third term serving in the Statehouse. He says his dedication to his constituents, rather than sticking solely to party ideology, makes him the most viable choice to represent them in Concord.

Coker has served two terms, first as a Democrat and then as a Republican, switching parties two years ago.

“My voting record shows that I am toward the middle,” Coker said. “Partisanship gets in the way of getting things done. Next year, there will be enough of us in the middle who will have an opportunity to actually move things.”

Coker represents District 2, which solely covers Meredith. In February 2024, Coker said he was changing his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican to better align with his “core values,” and was reelected despite the party change.

Much like his Democratic opponents in the race, Coker tends to straddle the aisle, although leaning right.

“If you look at my numbers, I still got Democratic votes last year,” Coker said. “I’m excited about the next election. With this political environment, no party will blow another out.”

'Just a regular guy'

Coker grew up down south, splitting time between Florida, and Arkansas, before moving to New Hampshire, in 2011.

A commercial airline pilot of almost 15 years, Coker considers himself “just a regular guy,” who's lived in Meredith with his wife, Chelsea, and three daughters since 2019. Flying was always his dream, and he said he worked his way up the ladder, fueling planes and sweeping hangars in high school. Coker was able to earn enough money to get a pilot’s license at age 17.

He then became a flight instructor, flew a small airplane for an auto dealer, then flew corporate jets, before landing a job with a smaller airline.

“It is like working your way through the minor leagues,” Coker said. “This was something I always wanted to do.”

Over the years, he's taught newer pilots to fly 250-passenger planes in environments around the world, flown to every continent aside from Antarctica, and has flown himself and family to vacation destinations.

He was once responsible for flying home troops returning from service, something he will never forget.

“It was a really cool feeling to bring everyone back, seeing the families rush the soldiers as they got off the plane,” Coker said. “That has really stuck with me. The human cost of these conflicts is unimaginable.”

In his spare time, Coker enjoys what the Lakes Region has to offer. During the winter months, Gunstock Mountain Resort is his home for skiing, and he can also be found ice fishing when their is ice aplenty. When it gets warmer, Coker enjoys boating on Lake Winnipesaukee, or hitting the links.

Campaigning

Coker was elected to his first term in November 2022, and has learned a few things along the way about campaigning. Local voter won’t see Coker approaching on their doorbell cams, or knocking on their door. He doesn’t think this is the right way to campaign, and instead will simply speak to people when he sees them, and interact organically.

“People in town tend to know me, and I’m available to everyone,” Coker said. “People can talk to me when they see me, out in the grocery store maybe. Community engagement is how I campaign.”

He also plans to hold off putting out yard signs until the election nears, and hopes his opponents will follow suit.

An experiential advantage

Coker brings Statehouse experience to the table, saying he knows how Concord works, and also has his finger on the pulse of the town. He said the next session will present a unique opportunity to bring changes. With the relationships he made in his first term, Coker thinks he can be a catalyst for change.

Coker has served on the Transportation Committee, and said it has been an interesting ride.

“One big thing that I work on is trying to cut the red tape here and there on the margins,” Coker said.

One bill he sponsored, which passed, allows a boater who's completed the boating safety course to save a photo of it on their phone, rather than always carrying around a physical copy.

Coker said he has been “almost a middleman” with proposed legislation in the Statehouse.

“There were a lot of bad bills, and I helped make them a little better, taking some of the hard edges off of them,” Coker said. “And some of the better bills, I’ve had people who have jumped on board.”

Coker was heavily involved in state inspection legislation, which has become a hot-button issue. He admits any time a program like that ends, there is a rough, sometimes confusing, road ahead.

Coker said the Environmental Protection Agency is going to fast track the state’s exemption for emissions testing, which he said was the sticking point. Coker said this led to an ongoing legal battle, as Gordon-Darby, a company affected by the change, sued the state. The U.S. District Court recently found the state was not disobeying the ruling, even though it ended the contract with the company that handled the inspection program.

“When this was first thought of decades ago, cars were much dirtier than they are now,” Coker said. “It was one of those things that was ridiculous, a car would just have a bad sensor that would go off, and then someone can’t use their car.”

A couple bills about which Coker felt strongly did not go through, but his feelings haven’t budged. If passed, they would have made primary elections more competitive, by including all candidates on one ballot rather than separately, based on party affiliation.

“It’s a shame that most voters don’t have a real say in elections if they live in an area dominated by one party or the other,” Coker said. “I’d like to continue working to make politicians more responsive to their constituents.”

Priorities

Coker has heard from constituents who think education spending has gotten out of control. He disapproved of a dictated approach in Concord, saying the House voted down a bill that would have imposed a spending cap.

“We worked on a compromise where voters have a say on the ballot to cap education funding, or at least attach it to inflation, so it doesn’t keep climbing,” Coker said. “This is how voters from each town can actually have a say, and it won’t be dictated from Concord.”

Water quality is also of major concern to Coker, as Meredith is home to several significant waterbodies, including lakes Winnipesaukee, Winona, Wicwas and Waukewan.

Cyanobacteria is another concern, and while the blooms are natural parts of a freshwater ecosystem, they can form surface blooms harmful to the environment. These algal blooms can affect people, wildlife, pets, and livestock, according to information from the NH Department of Environmental Services.

He has worked on several bills connected to water quality, and will continue to make this a priority.

“In this area, we need to make sure our water is clean and of top quality,” Coker said. “If we lose our clean water here, we are in trouble.”

Coker also wants to make sure the state gives Meredith its proper due, including with Rooms and Meals tax and education adequacy funding. He said Meredith has a great tax base, and in turn, “everyone in the state tries to take from us.”

“I have to fight that constantly, because we are such an easy target.”

Coker acknowledged voters on the far left and right sides don’t approve of him. He said he didn’t get into politics for ideology and party lines, and is tired of those who have. He strives to never be like that, and vows to work for the greater good, being both an ear and a voice for the people of Meredith, and the State of New Hampshire.

“I am here to represent the everyday people, and the quiet majority, to see the state run efficiently, and be a nice place to live."