Harkey brings conservative values, nonprofit expertise to Statehouse run

GILMANTON — Colleen Harkey believes strongly in constituent services, and she's running for a seat in the Statehouse with the drive to be transparent and respectable, while listening and doing her homework.

The Gilmanton resident is running in the Republican primary on Tuesday, Sept. 8, taking on five other candidates aspiring to serve Gilford, Gilmanton and Laconia Ward 2. The top four will move on to the General Election Tuesday, Nov. 3. After knocking on hundreds of doors, Harkey sees a wide range of issues facing voters.

“You don’t know what you don’t know,” Harkey said. “Every single person that was home opened their door to me and was more than kind, and articulated what their concerns were.”

Who is Colleen Harkey?

Harkey grew up on the East Coast, living in Brooklyn, and Long Island, before moving to Manhattan, where she worked in financial security for 14 years. That's where she met her husband, Rick, and they ultimately raised two children and moved to the Granite State in 2020.

Harkey has been a Republican since she was 18, and said a proud moment was voting for Ronald Reagan for president in her first election. She said she was one of a handful of young Republicans living in Manhattan at that point.

After leaving the workforce to raise two children, saying she wanted to be there for them, she went back to work in 2008, to an industry she never thought would be on her radar. Harkey volunteered as a member of the Community Emergency Response Team through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, then interviewed with the American Red Cross.

“That changed my life, and I’ve been in the nonprofit world since,” Harkey said. “I love it.”

Harkey said this involves work with “valid, significant organizations with a desire to make a difference.” She became a certified fund raising executive, ensuring she remains well-informed on rules and policies. This allows her to “hover over the landscape,” and keep an eye on what's going on.

Harkey has been a major gifts officer, project manager and nonprofit executive.

While she has loved every one of her jobs, her highest priority was raising her children. Her husband retired, but she continued working when they moved to New Hampshire in 2020, and then Gilmanton, in 2022. The Harkeys have long had a love for New Hampshire, as her children attended Camp Cody, in Freedom, and Camp Moosilauke, in Orford. When looking for a place to settle down, she said the Lakes Region was a clear choice.

Since the move, Harkey said she has committed herself to protecting values and freedoms through volunteering and community service.

Why is Harkey running?

“I like to lead by example,” Harkey said. “Even in my work environment, I never ask anyone to do something that I wouldn’t roll up my sleeves and do along with them.”

If she has the skillset to make a difference, she’ll raise her hand, but acknowledged if there is someone with better ideas, they should be listened to. Harkey has spent her career taking on challenges, collaborating with people with all kinds of ideas, and taking those ideas to completion.

“I get the work done,” Harkey said. “That’s the reason why I know I will be able to deliver for the people of District 6.”

Campaigning

“I am on a door-knocking quest,” said Harkey, who has been to more than 350 homes so far.

While meeting constituents, she has found common themes: property taxes are high, local control has eroded, families want strong schools without escalating costs, the desire for government accountability, and knowledge of where tax dollars are being spent.

“Those reinforced what is on my platform,” Harkey said.

Going into the campaign, she heard mixed opinions about door knocking. Some said they love it, others say it doesn’t work out well. Since she talks to people all the time, it hasn’t been intimidating to her, but instead, enlightening.

She said people gave thoughtful ideas of what they were looking for in a representative. They all love their homes, and love their state, but feel somehow the paradigm has shifted. Much of that, she said, is due to education costs.

Strong schools

Harkey thought the curtain was pulled back about schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic, with parents getting a front-row seat, and not being happy. She said she went to college as an adult, attending New York University, and finishing the second half of her degree and graduating with her daughter in 2019. She said one thing she noticed is everyone learns differently.

Harkey said it's clear there is no “one-size-fits-all” method, and there are many technical pathways for students to thrive.

“I believe in public schools, but I also support parental choice,” Harkey said. “I want schools to inspire students.”

As a mother, and classroom volunteer with the local parent teacher association, she understands how important it is to have parents involved and supporting students.

As a representative, Harkey said she will focus on educational opportunity and local decisionmaking. She doesn’t think anyone wants to take funding away from students and education, but it's important to look at budgets and be as transparent as possible. She knows education funding is an emotional issue for parents and students, as well as staff.

“I want to be honest about what education costs to taxpayers and what is happening here,” Harkey said.

Affordable housing

“There’s no magic wand here,” Harkey said.

Harkey said affordable housing, and housing in general, is a multifaceted issue. New Hampshire clearly needs more housing, but she wonders if building more housing makes it affordable automatically.

“They aren’t equal,” she said. “Before Concord goes in and imposes statewide requirements and mandates zoning changes, you need to understand what is driving the costs, and whether existing policies are working.”

After speaking with hundreds of constituents, she said many have great jobs, but have a myriad of other factors affecting their lives. They struggle with down payments, getting a loan, private mortgage insurance, and other insurance costs. These are all built into a monthly payment.

Harkey said it is not simply being unable to afford a house, but being able to afford everything else that goes along with it. That can push home ownership off the table.

“That is all part of the struggle,” Harkey said.

Harkey moved to Gilmanton in the early stages of the pandemic. She and her husband had ideas of where to live and what they wanted to do, but there was artificial inflation. Market inflation, she said, skyrocketed between 2020 and 2023, and while prices aside from gas have eased, the cost of buying a new home is still high.

“The shortage is definitely real, and inaction is not an option,” Harkey said.

Harkey supports Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and her work to remove construction barriers, and said even more needs to be done. Building when infrastructure can sustain growth was one idea, but Harkey cautioned enforcing regulations in communities, because they need to maintain a voice.

“They are the ones paying the bill.”

Harkey would support housing solutions for seniors, and said this can be done without sacrificing the character of communities, the voices of residents and the beauty of the neighborhoods.

“There are good people in office, and hopefully coming into office, that can come to the table.”

Small businesses and economic growth

Harkey believes in government transparency and accountability. She thinks strong communities go hand in hand with small and family-owned businesses, trades and the people who support them.

She thinks rising costs, excessive regulations and workforce shortages make it difficult for small businesses to succeed. Harkey said conservative policies promoting economic growth, protecting freedom, and encouraging trades and entrepreneurship lead to success.

Harkey vows to support lower taxes and responsible regulation, as well as workforce development and policies to help small businesses grow, while also protecting what makes the Lakes Region special.

New Hampshire Advantage

Harkey said she'll use personal experience to protect the “New Hampshire Advantage.”

She moved from a high tax state — New York — to a once affordable spot in Connecticut, which she said wasn’t too different from New Hampshire. Harkey said that was eroded in a heartbeat, and Connecticut became one of the highest taxed states in the country. She doesn’t want to see New Hampshire head that direction.

“You can lose that in a slippery slope in an instant, and not realize it is happening,” Harkey said. “That issue, for me, is pretty important.”

How Harkey will lead

“I am definitely a conservative Republican,” Harkey said. “I expect to agree with Republican leadership for those reasons, but my responsibility is to the people of District 6.”

Harkey takes pride in bringing a different expertise to the table than other representatives who have served the district. In her professional life, Harkey has dealt with complicated situations, talking a collaborating with a variety of people.

“I think my perspective is needed in that regard,” Harkey said.

Harkey vows to put District 6 first. Whether someone lives in Gilmanton, Gilford, or Laconia, the residents deserve “thoughtful, practical and accountable representation.”

“I will listen, study issues, consider consequences, and make a decision.”