ERIKA GRAY
District 5 - Laconia Wards 1,3,4,5,6
Ms. Gray is a candidate for State Rep.
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Ms. Gray has our full support as her positions meet our standards of providing reasonable and responsible governance.
Learn more below.

Ms. Erika Gray is a first-time candidate who has worked hard to be competitive in District 5, and capitalize on her family’s deep roots in Laconia. She has four children.
Born and raised in town and a licensed nursing assistant, she said in both her website and Laconia Daily Sun letter that protections for our most vulnerable population, the elderly, youth and the unhoused, must be improved in Belknap County and throughout the state.
For youth, she notes on her website that for at-risk youth that she would like to see access to reproductive health, after-school programs and affordable counseling. For Belknap County’s aging population, she’d like to enhance access to medical care, aging in place in your own home, and protect Social Security.
In her Citizens Count survey, she noted that she is for changing zoning regulations to encourage more available housing. This was echoed in her Citizens for Belknap questionnaire, where she responded to the question about recruiting strategies for the county nursing home, she emphasized the importance of workforce housing as a key recruiting and retaining tool.
She also gave a thoughtful answer to solving the opioid crisis, more so than many other candidates: .
“We need to start at the root cause and provide more resources to at-risk youth to keep them from starting in the first place. We also need realistic pain management options for citizens who do have legitimate need for narcotic pain management. We also need to be honest about the fact that trauma is the real gateway drug, and once NH moves forward with legalization Recreational Marijuana, a big portion of that revenue needs to be allocated to mental health and prevention as well as rehabilitation resources. Another prong in this issue is affordable housing. Attaining sobriety is hard enough for people living in homes. Doing it while unhoused is extremely difficult and has its own unique set of obstacles. “
In her letter to the Laconia Daily Sun after the Oct. 10th District 5 Candidate Forum, thanking her fellow candidates for a constructive and respectful conversation, she said, “Part of what prompted me to run was my desire to do my part in bridging the divide we have in our politics. Love, compassion, and respect for all people, regardless of their political ideals, is the only way we heal and start solving problems effectively. And that idea needs to return to our political life.”
We find Ms. Gray to be a reasonable and responsible candidate, and applaud her efforts to bridge the partisan divide.
In Her Own Words . . .
Ms. Gray returned her Citizens for Belknap Questionnaire with these responses:
Why are you running, and what do you hope to achieve in the next legislative term?
I am running because I want to help the working class regain prosperity. I want to help protect funding for public schools and expand access to after school programs that keep our school safe. I want to help our elderly population age in place and live with dignity. I also want to codify Roe.
Assess the recent performance of Gunstock. If elected, would you keep it in the same direction or change course, and how?
As a first time candidate for any elected office (and I was recruited 2 days before the registration deadline in June) there are a lot of topics with which I am still familiarizing myself as to this level of the details. Because of this, I am not informed enough on what is happening there at this time to be able to give an opinion. I will learn more on this and get back to you.
Given budget constraints for the Belknap County Nursing Home, how would you stretch county taxpayer dollars and still meet our high standards of care?
I would like to see certain taxes that Sununu cut be returned to their prior rates, including the business tax, Rooms & Meals tax, and the Interest and Dividends Tax. These are especially important to communities that rely on tourism, and would help to increase tax revenue without increasing property taxes for citizens.
As a member of the Belknap County Delegation, how would you improve county hiring practices to attract the highest quality candidates for our nursing home, public safety and administrative positions?
We need to go forward with the plans for workforce housing. Until we have more options for affordable housing we will continue to lose workers in these critical fields.
Should Belknap County manage its own nursing home and county corrections departments, or privatize them? What about Gunstock Recreation Area/Gunstock Mountain Ski Area?
I am not informed enough to say which way is best. I will absolutely learn more and get back to you on this topic.
What are your ideas for the former 220-acre Laconia State School property?
First and foremost, no matter what happens, it is important that there is some form of honoring the unfortunate folks who lived (and died) at the State School.
If I had my wish, it would be turned into a large rec center with a park and an indoor play center for kids, and maybe even an amphitheater for shows. I feel like our city needs far more affordable places for kids to play during inclement weather.
But, as that is not something that would generate much revenue, I know it would likely never happen. So, if sold to a private real-estate developer my only demand is that whatever housing they put there, they include more affordable housing units than high end housing units, with the more expensive ones having the lake view and the affordable ones further back.
What would you do as a State Representative to improve the opioid and drug problem in the region?
We need to start at the root cause and provide more resources to at-risk youth to keep them from starting in the first place.
We also need realistic pain management options for citizens who do have legitimate need for narcotic pain management.
We also need to be honest about the fact that trauma is the real gateway drug, and once NH moves forward with legalization Recreational Marijuana, a big portion of that revenue needs to be allocated to mental health and prevention as well as rehabilitation resources.
Another prong in this issue is affordable housing. Attaining sobriety is hard enough for people living in homes. Doing it while unhoused is extremely difficult and has its own unique set of obstacles.
What do you think is the most important skill of being a good State Rep, and why?
Being able to learn about topics as they come up in bills in order to make properly informed decisions is important. But most important is taking the input from constituents to heart and honoring their wishes when making these decisions. I also think that civility and decorum need to be prioritized while working inside the State House. Representatives of the other party are NOT our enemies. They are fellow legislators. We can ferventy disagree on a topic and vote very differently, but that should never result in childish and counterproductive behavior. The division we are seeing is a blight on country's history and it is past time to move beyond this.
What do you see are the biggest needs of Belknap County, and what would you do to fill that need?
(Not in any particular order)
a) Affordable housing / homelessness
b) Protecting funding for our public schools
c) More primary care providers, especially considering the recent loss of three very senior physicians who had long term rapport with their patients. It is a horrible situation and needs to be addressed.
d) Protecting our natural resources (especially lakes)
What percentage of your campaign funding comes from outside the county? How much from out of state?
NONE. I received $380 from Belknap County Democrats and the remainder of my donations have been from local friends and family of whom I personally asked. I have raised less than $1000 so far. Just enough to cover the cost of my yard signs and palm cards. I believe this should be visible on my ActBlue page. If it isn't I will happily submit my donation history.
Do you think our current county government should be smaller, larger, or stay the same?
The current size and scope of our county's government is something I'd like to learn more specifics on before answering. But in general, I think government should be small when it comes to personal freedoms (especially the most personal of all...reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights) and bigger when it comes to protecting citizens against corporate greed...whether it is businesses cutting corners that make things unsafe for us, or it is price gauging, etc. But I especially feel strongly about companies being able to send jobs overseas with little to no financial consequences. I remember when the industrial park was robust and I remember when my father lost his job at Aavid Engineering because of this exact issue. He had been there two decades. And boom. He is FAR from the only one. Wr cannot have a prosperous working class if jobs are taken away in order to increase a company's profits. It is a Shameful
What distinguishes you from the other candidates?
I am very likely one of the poorest candidates, and that isn't necessarily important. But it does mean that I very personally understand what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and to panic over unforeseen circumstances like a flat tire or car repair when your savings account is non-existent. I have been there. I truly get it.
What endorsements have you received?
I was endorsed by Chris Pappas
How long have you lived in Belknap County?
I was born and raised in Laconia. In 2008 I moved to Somersworth to help take care of my grandparents who were becoming ill. After they passed I stayed in Dover for my job until coming back home to Laconia in 2017 to be closer to my immediate family.