Ploszaj seeks 4th term in Statehouse as Schaefer aims to bring fresh perspective to Center Harbor, New Hampton

Rep. Tom Ploszaj (R-Center Harbor) is looking to secure his fourth term in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, but Democrat Amber Schaefer has her sights on bringing new ideas to Belknap 1.

Voters will decide who gets the seat in the General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Tom Ploszaj

Ploszaj was first elected in 2020, and while he is a Republican, he says he will always do what's best for Center Harbor and New Hampton.

“I don’t vote for an agenda or the party; I am here for my constituents,” Ploszaj said.

Ploszaj, who has lived in the Granite State since he moved from Connecticut, in 2008, said he's spent the last 12 years saying people who will just rubber-stamp what the party says need to stop being voted in.

“I haven’t changed,” he said. “I’ve been saying these same things for years.”

Ploszaj retired at age 51, as an analytic research scientist. He also worked in the automotive industry, and was in emergency medical services, retail, agriculture, and construction.

Growing up in Connecticut, he worked on his family farm. Ploszaj spent his teenage years backpacking in the White Mountains, and unbeknownst to him at the time, his late wife was coming to New Hampshire for camps, as well.

“We had an affinity to New Hampshire, and when it was time to retire, Connecticut had lost its appeal to us politically and socially,” he said.

They purchased property in Grafton, in 2010, after he retired, noting this was years after the notorious Free Town project. He said he has no affiliation with that, or the Free State movement that followed, despite some reports.

“I just laugh it off,” he said. “I am not a Free Stater. I never heard about their organization until I was looking for land.”

While in Grafton, he worked in EMS, continuing his life of volunteerism.

“My whole life, from 19 years old until now in the Statehouse, I have been volunteering.”

Ploszaj and his wife had a large house in Grafton. She had rheumatoid arthritis, and it wasn’t the best spot for her mobility. They found a single-level residence in Center Harbor, where Ploszaj has called home since 2015.

The couple were formerly Democrats, and he said when President Donald Trump ran in 2016, she became a supporter. He also started to veer away from the Democratic viewpoints, saying, “they left me,” and switched to the Republican Party in 2018.

When former Rep. Harry Viens (R-Center Harbor) didn’t run for a second term, Ploszaj said the party approached him.

“They asked me, I ran, and I won.”

Ploszaj said as a former Democrat — and current Republican — he believes people see him as someone with the best interest in mind for the people of his district. He won with about 60% of the vote in his first election. While he felt he got lumped into issues regarding Citizens for Belknap and the Gunstock Mountain Resort debacle in 2022, saying people incorrectly thought he was a Free Stater, he still won with about 54% of the vote. He went on to win his third term in 2024.

Ploszaj is pro-cannabis, saying he sees no problem with someone growing the plant on their property, but says he wants the state completely out of it.

“We don’t need to be selling it here.”

He said the last two Republican budgets were the highest ever on record, and he voted against them. He pointed to education, saying to look how much the state gave over 20 years, noting the amount has increased exponentially.

Ploszaj believes in school choice, saying if a parent lives near a school but can’t go there because of a zip code, that’s just not right. He said parents know what is best for their child’s education.

He once supported Education Freedom Accounts, but has pledged to represent his district. He said it was clear through a Town Meeting vote in Center Harbor they are not supported, and in April, informed the Republican Party he no longer supports them.

For housing concerns, he said his two towns are happy the way they are. He said there isn’t a desire for workforce housing, and he leaves it up to the district. If something changes, he asks constituents to “get ahold of me.”

Since he has been in office, he said his stances have fluctuated. He has seen Democrats pushing for an income and sales tax, and said that simply can’t happen.

“Spending can be more efficient in our departments,” he said. “There’s a lot of excess spending that the Statehouse doesn’t have control over.”

He also took a pledge to have no new taxes, and says he prefers not to micromanage.

Ploszaj said Democrats and Republicans alike can work with him to get things done.

“I don’t get involved in party rhetoric,” he said. “I’m tired of it.”

If it is time for a change, he said he’ll accept that. However, Ploszaj brings experience to the Statehouse, he said, and if people like how their district has been run the past six years, he said they should vote for him.

Amber Schaefer

Schaefer is no stranger to District 1, as she grew up in both New Hampton and Center Harbor, attending local schools in the Newfound and Inter-Lakes districts. She ultimately graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon in Gill, Massachusetts, after receiving a scholarship to attend for her final two years of high school.

After graduating from Plymouth State University and receiving her doctorate in physical therapy at Franklin Pierce University, Schaefer landed in Center Harbor, where she currently resides. She is raising two children with her partner, and works in home health and hospice as a physical therapist, and manages a team of rehabilitation professionals.

“I have always had an interest in politics, but wasn’t really involved, but I’ve been increasingly concerned that there hasn’t been a strong representation of people like me in the Statehouse,” she said.

Coming from a healthcare background, Schaefer thinks she can offer some perspective and help in Concord, and for District 1. She said she is focused on healthcare accessibility, saying this touches most lives, and is concerned about the direction the Granite State is heading.

She wants to prevent medical facilities from closing, while supporting policy to improve healthcare networks in rural towns. Schaefer also looks to improve recruitment and retention efforts for healthcare workers. Affordable housing and family services are two areas she said need to be addressed here.

Another major concern is protecting public education. She is a proponent of building a strong community through education, and efforts to dismantle public education are something she doesn’t take lightly.

She's running on environmental sustainability, and plans to work with local and state conservation experts. She points out the lakes need to be protected from pollutants and cyanobacterial blooms, and alternative energy sources explored to bring down costs, while keeping the environment safe.

“We live in such a beautiful state, and the local economy is really based on that,” she said.

Schaefer will not support an income or sales tax, but said she is dismayed by the constant cutting of revenue sources. She thinks there should be a decrease on the reliance of local property taxes, as people on fixed incomes are getting priced out of their homes.

Affordability is in the front of her brain, much like her constituents. She said New Hampshire has become a state where many can’t afford to live, which is presenting a challenge in a multitude of ways. She is looking to promote incentives for towns and cities to invest in affordable housing, while also decreasing energy prices.

Schaefer said for housing, there are different needs for different communities, and she said local control on planning needs to be prioritized. She said the Housing Champion program was a great step, but has since been fully defunded. She called that a “big shame.”

Working in healthcare and traveling to communities with older residents, she has seen modular homes come a long way. She sees solutions from this, but said they need to be planned properly.

She also wants to change the political climate, saying she will work with legislators, industry experts, and neighbors to solve problems. She encourages civility and respect in discussions, and prioritizes her constituents over party politics.

Schaefer hit the campaign trail early and often, to get an idea of what the people of District 1 want.

“I got an early jump and decided that I was going to do this back in December, so I got the ball rolling with canvassing in May, and I’ve knocked on 400 doors already,” Schaefer said. “I like getting out there to meet people.”

Schaefer said members of both communities have hosted house parties for her to get her platform out in the open, and she plans to participate in a debate at the end of the month, hosted by the League of Women Voters of New Hampshire.

“I have gotten a lot of support,” she said. “Personally, I have invested my time in meeting people one-on-one. I have learned that local politics is incredibly important.”

Schaefer said the national political scene might take a spotlight, but there is a true opportunity to make a change that impacts everyday life at the local level. She encourages more people to get involved, whether it is a local committee, or volunteerism. Schaefer said the campaign trail has been “illuminating.”

“For me, it has been eye-opening. And regardless of outcome, I plan to stay involved.”

Schaefer said she is a good listener, a thoughtful problem-solver, and a longtime resident of the district. She thinks she brings that sort of unique perspective.

“I grew up here, I work here, and a serve the local community,” Schaefer said. “I have a good finger on the pulse with issues.”