Housing, abortion, and unlawful immigration have been one of the most sensible problems.
New Hampshire’s gubernatorial applicants are making their ultimate pitches to citizens with simply two weeks to head till Election Day.
At a candidate discussion board hosted by means of New Hampshire Public Radio, former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, the Republican nominee, and Manchester’s former Democratic Mayor Joyce Craig squared off on an array of problems, together with housing, abortion, and unlawful immigration.
Craig, kicking issues off, stated she used to be working to assist households and communities “being left at the back of” in a state the place Republicans cling the governorship and majorities in each legislative chambers.
“I perceive the demanding situations that our native communities are going through and the way the state must be higher supporting all folks,” stated Craig, who served as Manchester’s mayor from 2018 to 2024.
But Ayotte, who spent one time period within the Senate from 2011 to 2017, stated she felt Gov. Chris Sununu had instructed the state in the correct course and that she was hoping to proceed down that trail.
“We’re the No. 1 state for kid well-being. We’re the No. 1 state for private and financial freedom. We’ve got the bottom tax burden within the country and the bottom poverty charge within the country,” the previous senator stated.
“My opponent, Joyce Craig, has a special trail that she needs to take us down. She seems to be to Massachusetts and thinks that’s a greater fashion for New Hampshire, with upper taxes and not more freedom. I don’t suppose that’s the correct course for New Hampshire.”
Housing
Requested about her plan to handle New Hampshire’s housing disaster, Craig famous that she allotted greater than $30 million to reasonably priced housing right through her time as mayor from 2018 to 2024. She additionally advocated for converting the zoning rules in native communities to take away limitations to construction.
“I believe it’s in point of fact vital to notice, although, that my opponent is in truth reaping rewards financially from this housing disaster,” Craig charged, pointing to Ayotte’s place at the board of Blackstone, an international funding corporate.
Relating to Blackstone because the country’s “biggest company landlord,” Craig stated New Hampshire must undertake worth gouging rules so such firms may just now not “jack up rents and push other people out in their houses.”
Moderator Josh Rogers, alternatively, identified that each applicants have monetary pursuits within the housing sector, as Craig owns 9 flats and a industrial assets.
Ayotte, in the meantime, stated her opponent’s claims have been “totally absurd,” noting that Blackstone owns only a few homes in New Hampshire.
Whilst Ayotte touted her enjoy at Blackstone and within the Senate as an asset, she added that she would step down from her place at Blackstone if elected governor.
Abortion
At the legality of abortion, Ayotte wired her view that the problem must be determined by means of the states quite than the government.
“I’ve all the time supported exceptions for rape, incest, lifetime of the mum within the closing 3 months [of pregnancy]. So if there’s a clinical emergency, or if, God forbid, there’s one thing improper with the newborn, a girl can nonetheless download an abortion,” she stated.
New Hampshire lately prohibits abortion after 24 weeks of being pregnant with exceptions for a deadly fetal anomaly and to avoid wasting the mum’s existence.
Ayotte stated she would stand by means of that legislation and veto any longer restrictions on abortion.
Craig has stated she would repeal the present legislation, which she known as a “ban,” and accused Ayotte of flip-flopping at the factor.
Within the Senate, Ayotte voted for a federal 20-week abortion prohibit and supported efforts to defund Deliberate Parenthood, the country’s biggest abortion supplier.
“Rapidly, her thoughts modified in this as a result of she is aware of that that is vital to citizens in New Hampshire,” Craig contended.
The previous mayor added that she felt New Hampshire taxpayers must quilt the price of others’ abortions thru Medicaid.
“I imagine that abortion is well being care, and if a girl wishes an abortion, she must have get right of entry to to that well being care regardless of if she will be able to have enough money it or now not,” Craig stated. “New Hampshire is the one state in New England the place Medicaid does now not quilt abortion, and I believe this is one thing that should trade.”
Unlawful Immigration
As a northern border state, New Hampshire faces its personal demanding situations with unlawful immigration.
The problem has been a point of interest of Ayotte’s marketing campaign, right through which she has many times referred to as for a ban on sanctuary town insurance policies within the Granite State.
Ayotte stated that as governor, she would welcome prison immigration whilst cracking down on insurance policies that inspire unlawful immigration.
“We’re going to make certain that we’re now not a sanctuary state, that we don’t cross the best way, frankly, of Massachusetts, that has spent one billion greenbacks housing unlawful immigrants. We’ve got our personal housing wishes, even for our veterans right here,” she stated.
Craig stated that if she have been elected, she would “completely now not” permit New Hampshire to observe in Massachusetts’s footsteps.
“New Hampshire isn’t a sanctuary state, and it could now not be a sanctuary state when I’m governor,” she stated.
On the other hand, Craig stated she didn’t suppose taxpayers must pay for the state’s Northern Border Alliance Process Drive, an initiative of the present governor to stop unlawful border crossings into the state from Canada.
She stated border safety is a federal factor.
“I might paintings with our federal delegation to make certain that we’ve got the investment essential to get that executed,” she stated.
Against this, Ayotte stated she helps Sununu’s efforts with the duty power however that “we will be able to’t have a state the place we’ve got inconsistent insurance policies amongst communities on sanctuary insurance policies, as a result of that may result in a sanctuary state.”
“And that’s the place Joyce Craig and I disagree,” Ayotte stated.