William Lawrence, Jr.
District 3 - Tilton & Sanbornton
Mr. Lawrence is running for state representative.
RECOMMENDED
Mr. Lawrence has a long history of serving his community, knows its people through many years of his business, and has a broad understanding of the issues that Tilton and Sanbornton face. He's even been a Citizen of the Year. While his survey answers were lean, we believe he has the best interests of District 3 in mind. We recommend him as a reasonable and responsible candidate.
Mr. Lawrence has lived in the Lakes Region for 73 years, and is the third generation to own Bryant & Lawrence Hardware, a classic New England hardware and general store in the village of Tilton.
Mr. Lawrence attended the Tilton School and St. Lawrence University, and has been heavily involved in town affairs, both nonprofit and municipal. Recently that means chairing the Tilton Budget Committee, and he has served on the Parks Committee. A profile by the Granite Foundation notes that Bill has also participated in Tilton's Main Street Program, the Planning Board, Trustee of Trust Funds, school committees and Rotary. In 2024 he was named Citizen of the Year for outstanding public service by the Tilton-Northfield Old Home Day Committee.
His Granite Foundation profile said Mr. Lawrence "sees the need for more qualified tradespeople and the value they bring to the community." In his 2026 questionnaire, he said, "I believe a quality education is important everywhere to everyone. Currently 60 % of my tax dollar goes to local education. From what I've read the state is deflecting it's duty to assure fair funding. But I need more education on the matter."
Mr. Lawrence did fill out a Citizens Count survey, which gives his positions on several statewide issue. One thing he echoes throughout survey is retaining local control and opposing state mandates for spending and school policy.
During a 2020 interview on how his store was coping with the pandemic, Mr. Lawrence said, "I like to engage my customers. I've learned to like people, even if they are unlikable."
That attitude will serve him well in the State House, should he prevail.
Recommended
Mr. Lawrence has a long history of serving his community, knows its people through many years of his business, and has a broad understanding of the issues that Tilton and Sanbornton face. He's even been a Citizen of the Year. While his survey answers were lean, we believe he has the best interests of District 3 in mind. We recommend him as a reasonable and responsible candidate.
2026 General Election Questionaire
1. Give three examples of waste you would cut in our NH state or county government.
Serving on the Tilton Budget Committee for over 20 years I know the importance of a transparent budget to identify waste. Our state and county budgets are complex and we need to open up the process to more independent study to make the best decisions. I feel the expanded school voucher program with no income cap is destructive and wasteful as it doesn't serve the majority in our communities. Otherwise unused program funding and ineffective programs can be cut.
2. Do you believe New Hampshire needs to explore additional sources of state revenue, or do you believe the state’s current approach to taxation and revenue is working? Please explain.
We should always be looking for added revenue sources, especially since the world is constantly changing and creating new demands on our daily lives. Some revenue sources derive from creative planning and foreseeing trends as the creation of the NH lottery in 1964. The NHFPI analysis of taxation in our state shows that working people and less-wealthy towns pay a higher share of income than the very rich and that should be addressed. I do not support a state income tax or state sales tax. The voters have made it clear they don't want that and I represent them.
3. Do you support having an AI data center located in Belknap County? Explain.
We need to make sure that any new development will actually create jobs and revenue and not raise electricity rates, deplete water resources, or spoil our way of life. Many communities around the state and the country are blocking AI data centers because they seem to be bad on all of these issues. The government should respond to what the people in our communities want not to big political donors.
4. Because Laconia hosts more city and county services for the homeless, it also shoulders more of the impact and financial burden. Would you support a county-wide plan to offset those problems and costs? Why or why not?
Yes, it could be a county, state, and/or federally funded plan. We should look at how other states deal with this national problem and see what models might work best here. 85% of the homeless people in Belknap County lived here before they became homeless according to the CAP staff who work with them. People should not have to sleep in their cars because their job doesn't pay enough for them to rent a small apartment near the people who can support them in getting through any problems they have because of being homeless.
5. Should Belknap County towns heavily impacted by out-of-state visitors receive a higher share of Rooms & Meal tax revenue?
Yes, Tilton has 140 businesses that pay this tax and the extra infrastructure costs incurred need a better percentage to help mitigate.
6. By 2030, what would be your vision for education, and its method of funding?
Education is probably the most important investment in our future. Our New Hampshire Constitution says that the state has a duty to pay for education because it is necessary for a free government. Politicians keep changing the definition of education to avoid paying for it so they can cut taxes for their big donors. We need to make sure that every student has the chance to work hard and succeed, not just children with rich parents.
William Lawrence, Jr.
2026 Primary Candidate Questionnaire
1. How long have you lived in Belknap County? If you moved to the county, why did you choose to do so? If you have always lived in Belknap County, why have you stayed? If you’ve been a resident for one year or less, what prompted you to run so soon?
I have lived in Belknap County for 73 years, my whole life. This is my home and where I run a family business, Bryant & Lawrence Hardware in Tilton.
2. Why are you running, and what is the most important legislative issue you hope to tackle the next legislative term?
I've spent many years volunteering in local government and now have more time to spend at the next level. As Budget committee chair, I am concerned that rising property taxes are outstripping the average wage earner's ability to pay. They also make life very hard for senior citizens who worked their whole lives and can't afford to stay in their homes while also paying for medications, heat, and groceries.
3. What do you see are the biggest needs or issues in Belknap County, and what would you do to fill that need?
The biggest issues in Belknap County are rising property taxes, the cost of housing, and getting access to affordable healthcare. These are not simple problems, so the best that I can do is listen to the experts and different points of view and then work with the other representatives to come up with solutions we can all agree to. That is how I have solved problems on the Tilton Budget Committee and all of the other committees and commissions I have worked on to improve my town.
4. What distinguishes you from the other candidates running in your district?
I have over 50 years of experience running a small business and equal time volunteering in community organizations. I know the people of my community well and I have always done my best to make their lives better. I have served in town government so I know our strengths and our problems. That means when I go to Concord or to the County Delegation meetings I can represent the people of Tilton and Sanbornton instead of just doing what party leadership tells me to do.
5. A recent independent report found deficiencies in the current Belknap County jail. Would you support construction of a building that meets modern standards? Or should the existing jail be renovated?
Safety and prudent spending are both important. I don't get to decide by myself which direction we go because there are 17 other representatives who also have a voice, and this is not an easy decision. I will look at which solution keeps the costs low in the long term for taxpayers and keeps the corrections officers and inmates safe.
6. Do you agree that traditional public schools are essential to attracting business and retaining employees in Belknap county? Should our students’ education be funded at ‘adequate education’ levels as defined by the NH Supreme Court’s in the ConVal decision? Why or why not?
I believe a quality education is important everywhere to everyone. Currently 60 % of my tax dollar goes to local education. The state is deflecting it's duty to assure fair funding. We have the lowest state funding for public schools in the country. But we know that education is an important investment in our future. According to the NHFPI reports the business tax cuts over the past 10 years did not create jobs and they did not help small businesses like mine so we should look at going back to the system we had before that worked better.
7. The Belknap County Nursing Home continues to operate under capacity, yet it has a waiting list of Belknap clients. What will you do as a member of the Delegation, to assist the County Commission to maximize our nursing care facility?
The nursing home is an important service to our county. Because not all of the beds are full we have county citizens waiting in line. That is not right. We need to look at what it costs to provide the right service to our county senior citizens and have an honest, transparent discussion with the county taxpayers about it. When someone works their whole life in our county to build our businesses and our community they should be able to retire with dignity.
8. The county nursing home and the Belknap Mountain Recreation Area, including Gunstock Mountain Resort, are revenue streams owned by Belknap County. As a County Delegation member, do you support leasing out the property to a private company, or selling those operations?
No, I'm for local control of these important county assets
9. Opioids and other drugs continue to be a problem in our communities. What are your ideas to reduce the impact of these drugs in our community? What resources are you willing to commit?
I believe drug addiction is a mental health issue. Lack of education, job opportunities, and inadequate health care all play a part. I am not an expert on this, but we should look at what smart program investments we could make to end the long-term effect of drug addiction and recidivism that has plagued our communities. Just throwing people in jail over and over again is expensive and it doesn't work.
10. Belknap County’s delegation of state representatives has the poorest rate of attendance in the state at 78% for the 2024-25 legislative session. It’s so bad that the 2nd lowest, Strafford County, is 89%. Do you commit to attending at least 80% of committee meetings, and 90% or more of Session vote days?
Yes, if physically possible
11. The Belknap County Sheriff’s Department has entered into an agreement with U.S Immigration & Customs Enforcement 287(g) program agreement with Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). Do you support this, and why?
We do not have an immigration problem here in Belknap County. Our tourist businesses depend on seasonal workers whether that's Gunstock or our summer attractions and hotels. We need those seasonal workers to keep our economy going and they should feel welcome while they are here and following our laws. I want to make sure that our laws are enforced to protect public safety and that taxpayer dollars get spent in the most efficient way.
Ignore - this is a duplicate of #8.
12. The county nursing home and the Belknap Mountain Recreation Area, including Gunstock Mountain Resort, are revenue streams owned by Belknap County. As a County Delegation member, do you support leasing out the property/operations to a private company, or selling the property/operations?
13. Affordable housing continues to be a problem, causing challenges for our county economy, including limiting the worker pool, attracting business, and attracting younger families. If elected, what will you do to increase the stock of affordable housing?
Affordable housing is a very complicated situation. High rents, high property taxes and low average Belknap County wages are just a few of the factors. From my years on the planning board, certain residential expansion can mean higher taxes and affect affordability in our current tax scenario.
14. Without clean lakes and rivers, the Belknap County tourism economy would be in jeopardy. Should the county financially support pollution control and water quality monitoring programs? Why or why not?
Personally, clean air and water is a priority for me. Tourists come here to enjoy this experience. Managing these resources is essential to our economy and our way of life. We need to work with the state and local nonprofit groups to find the most efficient way to monitor water quality and fix problems. We don't need a giant one-size-fits-all project, we need common-sense solutions to make sure we can all continue to enjoy our pure natural environment and keep our economy going.
15. Do you agree that the tax reduction for State revenue streams (Business Enterprise Tax, Rooms & Meals, Income & Dividends Tax, et. al), resulted in downshifted costs to Belknap county and local schools, and increased local property taxes? Why or why not?
It is obvious that we have the lowest state contribution to public schools in the country so our local property taxes must be paying the rest. That is a real problem for towns like Tilton. 60 % of my local tax dollar goes to local education. Even if the state keeps the dollars the same, it's not keeping up with inflation, so again that means property taxes have to make up the difference.
16. Would you favor reforming the Delegation’s meeting format? Should the Delegation conduct monthly meetings? Would you increase public input opportunities? Continue with Roberts’ Rules?
Yes, yes, yes & yes.
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