Democrats talk housing, abortion, public school, climate at breakfast forum

LACONIA — Democratic candidates for local and state offices gathered Saturday morning at The Flip Side restaurant downtown to meet with voters and discuss their platforms just 38 days before the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. 

Candidates for state representative and the lone Democratic challenger for Joe Kenney’s District 1 Executive Council seat, Emmett Soldati of Somersworth, addressed issues prominent this election cycle including housing, abortion and public education. The event brought together a mix of incumbents and new candidates with varied experience in New Hampshire politics. 

“We have a great opportunity this year to flip, not just the governor’s corner office, but the executive council, Statehouse and the state Senate,” Laconia Democratic Committee Chair Jason Sproul said. “Two years ago, the decision of the majority in the Statehouse was based on three races and a total of 11 votes.”

Executive Council District 1 is large, encompassing much of the state between Durham and the Canadian border. Executive councilors work with, and at times against, the governor and are primarily responsible for confirming appointments and overseeing state contracts. Cinde Warmington (D-2) is the only Democrat on the five-member council.

Soldati criticized Kenney’s lack of support for Planned Parenthood and support for the nomination of state Department of Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut.

“It’s one of only three reproductive health care centers in the state of New Hampshire,” Soldati said of Planned Parenthood. “We know historically, New Hampshire has always funded and supported reproductive health care access — this new council has really departed from tradition in supporting reproductive rights and reproductive health care access.”

Soldati noted Democrat Joyce Craig, former mayor of Manchester, has a good shot at the governor’s office, but will need party support on the executive council to ensure her agenda can be implemented. 

“If Joyce Craig does not have a supportive council, Republicans can basically stonewall every decision that she makes,” he said. “Of all the four Republican seats, our district is the closest to flip, so we are within the margin of error of winning. In the last primary, I was able to secure 5,000 more votes than my predecessor and my opponent, Joe Kenney, got 1,000 fewer votes.”

The event featured numerous candidates for four seats in Belknap District 6, which serves Gilford, Gilmanton and Laconia Ward 2. Democrat Lena Nirk advanced through the primary and is vying for one of those seats in the General Election.

Born and raised in Rhode Island, Nirk moved to Laconia in 2016 and worked at Taylor Community, at Navigating Recovery as a substance use recovery coach and volunteers at St. Vincent de Paul.

“It was a great opportunity to get to know all parts of the community — all ages and vastly different circumstances,” she said, noting she was motivated to run for office after getting involved with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Nirk said she testified at the Statehouse regarding “red flag laws.”

“Red flag laws could help temporarily remove firearms from somebody when a loved-one identifies him as a danger to himself or others,” she said. “So I thought, ‘Who could be against this life-saving measure down at the Statehouse?’”

She said the Statehouse is controlled by an extreme minority which doesn’t represent the views of those concerned about gun violence, women’s health care and the public school system.

“I want to be able to make some changes to represent the kind of things that most of us feel would be a change for the better in New Hampshire,” she said. 

Bob McLean is also running to represent Belknap District 6. He lived in Gilford for 30 years and in Meredith before that.

McLean said he’s concerned with housing and homelessness in Laconia.

“The case is, Belknap County and the state have a homeless issue,” he said. “The reason why you see it in Laconia is because Laconia is the place where these people can get help and get services. In addressing the problem we need to look to the county and to the state to help with the issue.”

He said he was unhappy with the election of Donald Trump and his subsequent handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then the riot at the U.S. Capitol building, so he joined the local Democratic party and ran for school board, winning a seat.

“Now I want to go and help fix some of those things down in Concord, if I can,” he said. “My other issue would be the climate change — it’s way past time for us to put into action climate change.”

Kirk Webber and Jonathan Arsenault are also running for Belknap District 6 but did not attend the event Saturday morning. 

Charlie St. Clair, an incumbent, is running for reelection to the seat in Belknap District 5, serving Laconia Wards 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6. St. Clair is also executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association and operates a retail store downtown.

“I do it to represent my constituents and I’ll tell you right up front, that’s how I vote down there,” St. Clair said.

“I never vote my party, I vote for the best candidates.”

St. Clair said this year the best candidates are Democrats and he hopes Craig will win governor, Soldati will win executive councilor in District 1 and voters will support Democratic candidates in other positions up and down the ballot. 

“If I do get in, please be sure to reach out to me and let me know what your thoughts are on any particular bill,” he said. “That’s really important.”

Wendy Chase is a seventh-generation native of New Hampshire running for Belknap District 5. She previously served two terms in the Statehouse, sitting on the judiciary committee, representing Strafford 18.

Chase is on the board of directors for Lakes Region Mental Health Center, which she said has provided her valuable perspective on local issues, and is on the board of directors of disability rights organization Able New Hampshire. 

“The things that I’m very passionate about, a lot of things, but the ones that I fight for are of course reproductive health, and [disability] health care,” Chase said. “My daughter was disabled and it’s very difficult to get her the doctor's appointments and the care that she needed.”

Chase said reproductive health care is one of her political priorities. 

“Reproductive health is something that we should all be able to have,” she said. “Have the freedom of choice, what we want to do with our own bodies — and that goes for men as well.”

Chase said she’s interested in supporting families, children, seniors, food insecurity, transportation, people experiencing homelessness, the environment and the public education system. 

“I am concerned about our environment,” she said. “Advocating for a statewide, comprehensive environmental plan.”

And Democrat Jon Hildreth is also running for Belknap District 5. He said he was born and raised in Laconia and is concerned regarding the public school system, asserting the voucher system will prove devastating for the Granite State.

“Public education is afforded to so many,” he said. “Without that, there’s no foundation. We’re failing our children if we’re not going to give them a good, solid education.”

Hildreth said he is concerned about the health of the environment and said state Sen. Tim Lang (R-2) hasn’t supported environmental protections in the past.

“Our lakes and rivers are the most important fiscal asset that we have,” he said. “Without that, we have no tourism.”

He said a lack of housing in the Lakes Region for unsheltered people and employees of small businesses is a main concern of his which must be addressed.

“We just need to do something about this,” he said. 

Hildreth said he was write-in during the primary and comes from a long line of Democrats. He said his older brother served in the Statehouse for five terms. 

“We need to get more signs out for Emmett [Soldati], we need to get more signs out for Joyce Craig,” he said. “These are seats that can be flipped — I think we can flip the house this year.”

Erika Gray is also running to represent Belknap District 5 but did not attend the event.