Affordability and cost of living were top-of-mind during a forum Tuesday evening, where 1st District congressional candidates Anthony DiLorenzo and Stefany Shaheen told voters how they would work to lower costs for Granite Staters.
Hosted by The Laconia Daily Sun, NHPR, and the Granite State News Collaborative, the event at Twin Barns Brewing in Meredith came less than a month out from Election Day, in a tight race featuring two first-time candidates.
WATCH: DiLorenzo and Shaheen draw contrasts in 1st Congressional District forum
When DiLorenzo, a Republican who founded a chain of car dealerships on the Seacoast, was asked how he would boost wages or bring down the cost of living if elected, he said he would bring his business experience to Congress. DiLorenzo attributed the affordability crisis to “fiscal mismanagement at the federal level by the Biden administration,” and said elected leaders must ensure financial responsibility at the federal level.
Asked about policies she would support if Democrats gained a majority in Congress to confront inflation and living costs, Shaheen said she would support bringing down gas, heating, and oil prices, rolling back tariffs, and halting tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Shaheen said the Trump administration cut Medicaid and food assistance, resulting in 255,000 fewer Granite Staters without healthcare today than had it last year. Shaheen also pointed to the trade war with Canada, and reliance on “our largest trading partner,” causing tariffs to drive up costs of “everything from gas and grocery prices to the cost of a cup of coffee.”
On the topic of U.S. military strikes on Iran, DiLorenzo said the U.S. has “destroyed" Iran's ability to possess nuclear weapons. Although he said it is now time to end the war, DiLorenzo said he believes the U.S. is safer after destroying Iran’s navy and nuclear weaponry, but does not advocate for continued war. If elected to serve New Hampshire in Washington, he said he would work to end the war and bring soldiers home.
Shaheen said the Iran war leaves New Hampshire residents with soaring gas prices. She also pointed out the global economic impact, with the Strait of Hormuz “essentially closed.” Shaheen said we have already seen progress on addressing nuclear threats from Iran, and President Donald Trump said the U.S. had taken out the “vast majority” of Iran's ability to build nuclear weaponry. “It needs to end,” Shaheen said.
The war drove up home heating oil prices by almost 50% for New Hampshire families this winter, Shaheen said. She advocated for expanding the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
DiLorenzo said high energy costs in the Northeast are “self-inflicted by poor policy at the federal level.” He said natural gas is abundant in Pennsylvania, and “would just take a pipeline to get here,” stating he would advocate for this in D.C. if elected. DiLorenzo also said the U.S. should expand nuclear power until the demand can be met with natural gas.
On the topic of immigration regulation, Shaheen said the Department of Homeland Security should be “fundamentally overhauled,” calling their use of taxpayer dollars “outrageous.” Shaheen has called for reforms, advocating for bans on masks by ICE agents, mandatory body cameras, and prioritizing deportation of violent criminals. Shaheen said when George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis, in 2020, everyone was calling for police reform. She said Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents get minimal training, much of it through a screen, and said it is "unacceptable and it has to change.”
DiLorenzo said he would support immigration reform, and it currently takes up to four years for an immigrant to legally come into the U.S. He emphasized he supports enforcing the law, which dictates deporting immigrants who come into the country illegally. On the campaign trail, he said he spoke with businesses, finding many were struggling to operate due to lack of employees. Immigration policies are “costing us economically,” and ICE as a whole has “room for improvement,” DiLorenzo said. States and local communities need to be cooperating with federal law enforcement to solve these issues.
With the average cost of a single-family home in New Hampshire now at $500,000, Shaheen said a third of single-family homes were bought by private equity firms in the last year. The government needs to “extend tax credit incentives to encourage developers to be developing permanently affordable housing.”
DiLorenzo said he would support an initiative similar to the Small Business Administration to help first-time and moderate-income homebuyers, as well as support lower interest rates. DiLorenzo said, “our entire federal delegation is Democrats, and they're not working well with our Republican governor.” He said he would work alongside legislators and Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte to make housing more affordable in the state.
NHPR's caandidate forums continue through October. In partnership with the Keene Sentinel and the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, NHPR will host a forum for 2nd Congressional District candidates on Thursday, Oct. 15, at Brewbakers Cafe in Keene; a gubernatorial forum in partnership with Manchester Ink Link on Thursday, Oct. 22, at Harpoon at Queen City Center in Manchester; and a U.S. Senate forum in partnership with the Valley News on Thursday, Oct. 29, at The Howe Library in Hanover. All forums are open to the public at no cost, with next-day broadcasts on NHPR.
