Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte and Democratic challenger Cinde Warmington offered competing prescriptions for New Hampshire’s high cost of living Thursday, with Ayotte defending her approach to taxes, housing and energy and Warmington arguing that state budget decisions have left residents paying more.
Watch or listen to the full forum here.
At a gubernatorial forum at Harpoon Brewing in Manchester, the candidates repeatedly returned to the pressures facing families, seniors and employers: expensive housing, property taxes, child care and energy bills. Their differences centered on how much state government should invest, how to pay for those investments and whether Ayotte’s policies are helping communities or shifting costs onto them.
NHPR’s Rick Ganley and Jackie Harris moderated the question-and-answer event before a live audience. The forum was presented by NHPR and the Granite State News Collaborative, in partnership with Manchester Ink Link.
Ayotte described New Hampshire’s low-tax model as essential to its economic success and said her administration has made affordability a priority through housing legislation, child care scholarships and efforts to address energy costs.
Warmington, a former executive councilor, said residents need more immediate relief and greater investment in housing, public education and the workforce.
“This economy is simply and fundamentally broken, and we need to fix it,” Warmington said.
Housing and property taxes
Ayotte pointed to bipartisan housing legislation addressing accessory dwelling units, conversion of commercial buildings to residential use, and permitting. She said the state should also examine selling or leasing state-owned land for affordable housing, working with housing and business finance agencies and private developers.
Asked whether she would support additional state funding for affordable housing, Ayotte said she wanted to supplement existing funding sources with more state dollars. She also emphasized preserving a local voice in development decisions, including minimum lot sizes.
Warmington proposed putting one person in state government in charge of coordinating housing efforts across agencies, with responsibility for identifying housing needs and developing a plan to meet them.
She called for investment in the Affordable Housing Fund and Housing Champions program, and said the state should address private equity’s role in the rental market.
Warmington accused Ayotte of “rearranging the furniture while the house is burning down.”
The candidates also differed on property tax relief. Ayotte supported allowing voters to adopt a property tax cap, describing it as a restraint on spending growth. She said protecting New Hampshire’s tax structure and expanding housing options for seniors were important to keeping older residents in their communities.
Warmington argued that state decisions on education and health care have shifted costs to municipalities and local taxpayers. She pledged to examine every bill reaching her desk for such cost shifts.
Ayotte countered that Warmington had not explained how she would finance her proposals without increasing taxes. She reiterated her opposition to an income or sales tax and criticized Warmington’s opposition to a constitutional prohibition on those taxes.
Public schools and education accounts
Questions on school funding produced some of the forum’s sharpest exchanges.
Asked about the state’s efforts to overturn longstanding school-funding rulings, Ayotte said her commitment to public schools would continue regardless of the courts’ decisions. She cited increased per-pupil aid and special education funding in the state budget and said improving reading and math outcomes should be priorities.
Warmington said the state should comply with court mandates and accused the administration of undermining public education through its funding decisions and support for Education Freedom Accounts.
She called for ending funding for the program, which helps eligible families pay education expenses outside their assigned public schools, and argued that the money should support other state needs.
Ayotte defended the accounts and disputed Warmington’s characterization of their effect on school finances. She again questioned how Warmington would pay for a larger state contribution to public education.
Pressed on a funding source, Warmington said communities are already paying the costs and that resolving the state’s share would require bipartisan negotiations. She did not identify a specific new revenue source during that exchange.
On teacher recruitment and retention, Warmington called for better school funding, more affordable housing and child care, and an end to policies she said have made teachers feel threatened or unsupported.
Ayotte cited her vetoes of legislation that teachers opposed and her support for restricting cell phone use in schools. She also suggested bonuses for exceptional teachers and more flexible pathways for people entering teaching from other careers.
Energy costs and data centers
Warmington advocated expanding renewable energy and energy efficiency, including weatherization, and addressing obstacles delaying solar projects. She questioned whether Ayotte’s interest in small modular nuclear reactors would provide relief soon enough for struggling households.
“The single, cheapest form of energy is the megawatt of energy you never use,” Warmington said.
Ayotte defended an energy strategy that includes natural gas, nuclear power and renewables. She said the state was examining small modular reactors and argued that Warmington’s earlier emissions proposals would increase costs.
For more immediate relief, Ayotte pointed to efforts to get utilities to return money to ratepayers and to support heating assistance. Warmington supported a state gas tax holiday; Ayotte favored suspending the federal gas tax.
Both candidates supported a temporary moratorium on new data centers, citing concerns about electricity demand and other community impacts.
Ayotte said she had consulted the attorney general and lacked authority to impose a ban by executive order. She said she would pursue legislation, either through the budget or a separate bill.
Warmington challenged Ayotte’s record on the issue and said any future regulatory framework would need to protect local control, water supplies and residents from noise, while ensuring data centers bear their own energy costs. Ayotte rejected Warmington’s characterization of her position.
Cannabis, higher education and public trust
The candidates split on cannabis legalization. Warmington supported a regulated legal market, arguing that New Hampshire residents already buy cannabis in neighboring states and that the state is losing potential tax revenue.
Ayotte opposed legalization, citing concerns about youth mental health, impaired driving and the persistence of illegal sales.
On higher education, Warmington called for stronger state investment, arguing that high tuition encourages young people to leave New Hampshire and makes workforce recruitment harder.
Ayotte emphasized aligning university and community college programs with employers’ needs. She also advocated extending tuition assistance at community colleges, pointing to the University of New Hampshire’s recently -nnounced tuition program for qualifying families.
Asked about public confidence in the state Supreme Court following an ethics investigation and resignation of the chief justice, Ayotte said she was deeply disappointed by the conduct described and emphasized respecting the Judicial Conduct Committee’s process and the judiciary’s independence.
Warmington called for the committee to provide a public update and for justices involved in the matter to step aside while the investigation proceeds.
The candidates found common ground on supporting domestic violence survivors. Ayotte cited work on bail laws, victims’ rights and protective measures. Warmington emphasized funding agencies that provide outreach, support and protection.
In a closing "lightening round" of questions, Warmington supported raising the minimum wage. Ayotte emphasized that employers are already paying above the minimum and said workforce development and lower living costs should be the focus.
Both also saw opportunities for artificial intelligence in state government, while stressing the need to protect personal information.
Catch the full conversation on YouTube.
Check out NHPR's earlier forums with the candidates for the 1st Congressional District and 2nd Congressional District.
These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. Don’t just read this. Share it with one person who doesn’t usually follow local news — that’s how we make an impact. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
