Linda Terwilliger: More Democrats needed on Executive Council to stop far-right drift

To The Daily Sun,

We are fortunate to have Dana Hilliard running for the New Hampshire Executive Council District 1, which includes Belknap and Carroll counties, except the towns of Barnstead and Carroll, respectively.

Dana is currently in his fifth term as mayor of Somersworth. He served five terms as a state representative and has a 23-year background in public education.

As our executive councilor, Dana will put the interests of our local communities first. He will demand that our hard-earned tax dollars will be well spent, and that qualified people with no ties to special interests will be appointed to the executive branch of state government.

Dana will work to stop money being siphoned away from our public schools to fund private, for-profit contractors with no accountability. He will fight to ensure access to essential reproductive health care services including safe, legal abortion. With a majority of Democrats on the council, state officials will prioritize real energy price relief.

The current GOP majority of the Executive Council is deeply out of touch with Granite Staters. The four Republican councilors lean toward the radical right and are clearly anti-education, anti-women’s health and anti-public health.

They approved the appointment of the current education commissioner who is working to dismantle our public education system. They confirmed Gov. Chris Sununu’s pick for the PUC chair who is a climate change denier. They refused to fund essential family planning services such as cancer screenings. They refused federal funding for vaccines during the pandemic. Unfortunately, Councilor Cinde Warmington, the one Democrat councilor, was unable to turn the tide.

In November, vote for Dana Hilliard for NH Executive Council. We need Democrats on the council who will put people over politics, make sure our tax dollars are well spent and that those appointed are qualified and not beholden to special interests.

Linda Terwilliger

Gilford