My Values
I am running for the New Hampshire House as an Independent to represent Merrimack District 13 because I believe Pittsfield and Chichester deserve a representative who listens and acts on community needs, not party commands. With a career dedicated to education, children and families, I understand many of the pain points for local families and communities.
I am also committed to civil discussion and careful listening. One of the most destructive tendencies in political life right now is prejudice - the pre-judging, wholesale dismissal and demonization of entire groups of people based solely on their characteristics or beliefs. If you scratch the surface of any group, you will find good people who are committed to their families and communities, even if their views are different from your own. You will also find individuals who always believe they are right, that they are allowed to impose their will on others, even in the face of overwhelming opposition to their ideas. And you will find a few who are dishonest, unethical, and corrupt. People need to be considered as individuals, not blindly accepted or rejected as a group.
Property Tax
Let's face it. Our property taxes are killing us. Property taxes don't care if you've lost your job, or recently retired, or had a major medical event. They are the highest, most regressive form of taxation in the state, and they tax your greatest asset - the roof over your head. You can work decades to pay off a mortgage and still lose your home to high taxes. So, why are property taxes so high, and why did the legislature totally eliminate a tax on another kind of asset - interest and dividends? The resident who works hard all year to make money to pay his property taxes now must pay MORE taxes to cover the tax that used to be levied on passive income from wealthy residents who can just sit and watch their money grow. This makes absolutely no sense to me. I propose reinstituting a 5% Interest and Dividends tax so that wealthy individuals pay their fair share. I would also raise the threshold at which this tax takes effect to avoid hurting lower income seniors who might rely on that income for their retirement.
Local Control and
Cost Downshifting
New Hampshire has long been a local control state, but that has been eroded in recent years with attempts by the legislature to strip local control from towns and communities while ensuring that local taxpayers foot the bill. When the legislature then also eliminates the Interest and Dividends tax and reduces corporate taxes, the end result is skyrocketing property taxes. Consistent downshifting of costs from federal to state, and from state to local levels is burying our local communities in unsustainable property tax bills.
Housing
I believe good housing policy should balance local control with targeted state incentives and regulatory relief. I strongly support restoring funding to the Housing Champions Program, a critical initiative which rewards towns with infrastructure grants when they voluntarily adopt housing-friendly zoning. Housing is an infrastructure issue, and I believe the state bears some responsibility for local sewer, water, and road expansions so current property taxpayers don't bear the full financial burden of new developments. I support recent legislative efforts to allow flexible housing options, such as detached Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), tiny homes, and converting underutilized commercial spaces into residential properties. I believe state permitting needs to be streamlined; current delays in state-level environmental and utility permitting slow down builders and artificially inflate construction costs. Existing workforce housing statutes must not be repealed, so our young working families and seniors aren't priced out of the state. Public-private partnerships can provide tax credits and incentives for developers who commit to long-term affordability metrics tailored to the local workforce.
I believe that a vibrant community starts with a strong education system. My commitment to our public schools is about more than just policy—it's about ensuring every child in Pittsfield and Chichester has the tools to succeed without overburdening local taxpayers.
Education - The Foundation of Our Future
Fully Funding Public Education
New Hampshire's current funding model for public education places an unfair - and unequal - burden on local property owners. That burden has been growing larger because government at the federal and state level has been cutting other viable sources of revenue and then cutting supports to local communities. It all then falls back on the property tax. I will advocate for state-level solutions that ensure equitable funding for all districts, providing our students with high-quality resources while providing much-needed property tax relief to our residents.
These solutions include a reinstatement of the Interest and Dividends (I and D) tax at 5% with a higher threshold of $5,000 for single and $10,000 for joint filers. The total elimination of the Interest and Dividends tax in 2025 (a tax which had been in place in NH since 1923) resulted in the loss of $100 million per year in state revenue. Higher thresholds would better protect senior citizens who may rely on investment earnings for retirement. Make no mistake - the elimination of the I and D tax was a win for the rich and a loss for the rest of us.
Education Freedom Accounts
When the NH legislature established EFAs in 2021, the program was explicitly pitched to voters and taxpayers as a targeted safety net, where eligibility was capped at families earning at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. I supported EFAs at that point.
The program evolved quickly, and in 2025, the household income requirements were completely eliminated. Rather than functioning as a tool to help public school students transition to a better fit school, the program now functions as a taxpayer-funded subsidy for private tuition and homeschooling, regardless of a family's financial need.
I do not support a universal entitlement program that subsidizes private choices with public dollars. Doing so drains the state's Education Trust Fund intended for public schools and downshifts the financial burden directly onto local property taxpayers.
EFAs costs are projected to cost more than $51 million annually, with more than 92% of participating students already enrolled in private schools or homeschooled.
New Hampshire has had significant success with the drug crisis, but we remain near the top of the national lists for per capita opioid and fentanyl overdose deaths. Roughly 90% of the overdose deaths in the state result from fentanyl use.
We must stop fentanyl from destroying our communities before it ever reaches our streets by backing state and federal efforts to tighten border security, cut off cartel supply chains, and stop the precursor chemicals and finished fentanyl from entering the state.
Targeted education, such as Project SUCCESS, in our schools and communities delivers the message that “one pill can kill”. Homicide charges should be brought for dealers that lead to fatal overdoses.
We also need to address the "revolving door" of Narcan - revivals followed by another overdose - by imposing a mandatory 72-hour involuntary emergency intervention to break the immediate cycle of seeking the next fix. Use court-ordered diversion and mandatory treatment through the drug courts; if an individual refuses to comply with treatment, the consequence is immediate jail time. This utilizes the authority of the court system to compel sobriety, offering a choice between structured, mandatory rehabilitation or standard criminal incarceration. While first responders will always try their best to save a life, that life should be met with the choice for treatment or the choice for punishment. A person should not have unlimited opportunities to overdose.
Fentanyl Crisis
Civility in Politics
In New Hampshire, we have a long and proud tradition of independent thinking, passionate debate, and neighbors speaking their minds. I love that about our state. But as I run to represent Pittsfield and Chichester, I want to be crystal clear about how I intend to conduct myself—and what I expect in return.
I firmly believe that public service requires humility, an open mind, and a deep respect for everyone in our community, regardless of whether or not we agree on an issue. If you have a different point of view, I want to hear it. I will always listen to you with an open mind, treat you with dignity, and engage in
honest, civil conversation.
At the same time, I believe we need to draw a clear boundary to restore sanity to our politics. While I welcome tough questions and vigorous debate, I will not engage with name-calling, personal attacks, or open hostility. There is a vast difference between standing up for your beliefs and being rude or threatening. If a conversation crosses that line, I will simply disengage and focus my energy on the thousands of neighbors who want to work together constructively to solve real problems.
We can disagree without being disagreeable, and I promise to bring that standard of
common decency and mutual respect with me every single day.
Women's Issues
It wasn't long ago in NH that women could not get a credit card and needed a husband's permission to open a bank account. Lifting these barriers has allowed women the basic freedom to work, build, and financially support their families. Further issues to tackle include reducing regulations for professions that women dominate, such as cosmetology, healthcare and eldercare, supporting the growth of home-based childcare businesses, and compensating women based on their merit, not their gender.
If we genuinely want to reduce the number of abortions in NH, the answer is not more government mandates. It is entirely counterintuitive to restrict access to basic contraception and health education and then use the power of the state to punish only women.
Energy
When it comes to powering NH, I take the long view. Relying indefinitely on fossil fuels is a losing hand - they are a finite resource, they damage our environment, and their price spikes are directly tied to global conflicts around the world. Clean, renewable energy is the inevitable future of our economy, and if we retreat from it now, we simply hand the competitive edge to other states and countries.
But a realistic transition does not happen overnight. In the meantime, we need an all-sources strategy that keeps the lights on today while building the infrastructure of tomorrow. My goal is to ensure that NH's energy policy expands economic opportunity for working families and small businesses, rather than creating costly mandates or tax breaks that only benefit the wealthy.
Firearms
New Hampshire has a long and proud tradition of responsible firearm ownership. I support a balanced approach that respects the Second Amendment while prioritizing the safety of our communities. I believe in fostering open dialogue with gun owners and law enforcement to find common-sense solutions that address mental health, public safety, the safety of law enforcement officers, and the rights of law-abiding citizens.
I was adamantly opposed to HB 1793 in this past session, in large part because law enforcement and college administrators were nearly universally opposed to the measure. I do not believe that a bill put forth as a public safety measure should survive if law enforcement expresses concerns about their ability to intervene appropriately and effectively in potentially lethal situations.
Childcare
Access to affordable, high-quality childcare is essential for the workforce and our families, but the average annual cost for childcare for an infant and a 4-year old in NH is nearly $30,000.
At the same time, the median salary for a childcare worker in NH is $34,570, approximately $16.60 per hour. Many childcare workers have had to participate in in one or more public safety net programs such as Medicaid or SNP just to get by. Parents cannot pay more, but workers cannot survive on less.
The NH Childcare Scholarship program expanded eligibility in 2024, more than doubling the enrollment on paper. However, over 550 enrolled children per month are not actually in childcare due to a shortage of slots and insufficient staffing. In fact, only about 10% of the children who are eligible on paper to participate have actually enrolled.
I support public/private partnerships and targeted corporate taxes to support the childcare system for both parents and childcare workers.
Business and Other Taxes
Small businesses are the beating heart of our local economy. The state, however, has often provided significant tax cuts and incentives to large out-of-state corporations. If those tax cuts go to fund CEO bonuses and wealthy shareholders rather than their workers and local communities, I do not believe they are justified. If a large company demonstrates that they care for their workers and communities - through good wages, the provision of health insurance, paid family leave, and childcare subsidies - I will gladly champion tax cuts and incentives for them.
Supporters of business tax cuts for large companies will tell you that the state realized more revenue as a result. Technically, this is true - NH business tax revenue increased by 118% between 2015 and 2024. However, the five states surrounding us increased business tax revenues by 224%, and because the tax cuts were enacted during boom years, NH actually lost between $795 million and $1.17 billion that it would have collected if it had just left the 2015 tax rate alone. In addition, since 1970, virtually no studies have established a statistical relationship between BPT/BET rate reductions and job growth. This is a talking point without reality to back it up.
Future growth requires a forward-thinking approach to other revenue streams beyond traditional property and business taxes. I am committed to researching alternative fiscal strategies that alleviate the pressure on individual taxpayers while maintaining the high quality of life our residents expect.
Other Issues
DCYF and Foster Care
Every child deserves to be born into a safe. loving home where their basic needs are met. Right now, NH taxpayers are footing an enormous bill - often hundreds of thousands per child - to fund long-term DCYF intervention and foster care because a small group of repeat offenders choose to bring children into situations of chronic neglect and abuse. This is a tragedy for the children, where consequences sometimes last over their lifetime, and it is an unfair, unsustainable drain on local taxpayers and state resources.
I am compassionate with families - to a point. We need to ensure that families have the resources and support they need. Beyond that, I believe in drawing a hard line: the state cannot continue to act as a hands-off safety net that absorbs the cost of repeated parental failure with no strings attached. True personal accountability must apply to parenthood.
A thriving local economy starts with the people who build it. I will advocate for policies that support small business owners, especially the 97% who employ fewer than 20 people. By fostering a buy-local culture and financial incentives, we can create better opportunities for our hard-working entrepreneurs and the communities they serve.