Upon my retirement from active service to churches as an ordained Presbyterian minister spanning parts or all of five decades, my wife and I fulfilled one of our dreams and have made New Hampshire our home. We moved to New Hampshire in 2017, and we have lived in Alton since 2018.

I was elected as a State representative in 2020 to represent Alton and Gilmanton and reelected in 2022 to represent Alton and Barnstead.

During my two terms I have served on the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee.
Earlier this year the Speaker asked me, and I agreed, to move to the House Education
Commitee to fill a vacancy.

I am standing for reelection this fall because I believe I have contributed both to the
preservation and the enhancement of our quality of life here in New Hampshire, and as a member of the Belknap County Delegation with specific responsibilities with respect to county government. Colleagues have complimented me on my ability to pose thoughful and clear questions and offer keen insights and helpful suggestions during the legislative process. My growing familiarity with state government has afforded me opportunities to assist constituents who have been perplexed or distressed in their attempts to know where to go and what to do.

Specifically, I have followed through on my commitment to strive to provide essential
governmental services at a reasonable cost to taxpayers. This has been a significant challenge during the years of the Pandemic and a period of high inflation. Additionally, I am committed to the principle of New Hampshire having a lean, strong, and best-in-the-nation state government, facilitating economic development on a lower rate (than surrounding states) business tax base, protecting both state and federally guaranteed constitutional rights, promoting a competitive and vibrant educational community and making New Hampshire a leader in the nation for individuals and families to live, grow and thrive.

The biggest need we have as a state and county is to think and act creatively and
comprehensively as to ways we can put in place a multi-faceted and integrated plan for
economic development that maximizes our quality of life. The history and structure of New Hampshire county governments (i.e., very limited compared to many other states) make this a particularly formidable challenge for counties such as Belknap, for unlike some states we do not have an elected County Executive to provide proposals and plans, and follow on with the implementation of legislatively approved and funded actions that further the goal of a broad-based approach to county vision, leadership and development. Accordingly, what would need to occur in Belknap County would be something on the order of the convening of a gathering of locally elected officials (i.e., mayor, select board members) to brainstorm ideas for ways to pursue initiatives cooperatively that would be seen as benefiting the entire county.

As a member of the Belknap County Delegation, I voted to approve the most recent county budget as recommended by the Delegation’s Budget Committee. While the tax increase that was required to support the budget’s authorized expenditures, those increases were in line with those approved by other New Hampshire County Delegations.

I believe the county’s nursing home and corrections departments have performed capably. The nursing home, under the direction of its current administrator, has performed superbly under very difficult health-related and economic conditions. Both should remain county responsibilities. Additionally, hiring practices appear to be well-designed and carried out by the responsible parties.

The Gunstock Area Commission operates under the state’s enabling statute, Laws of 1959, Chapter 399. While Gunstock ultimately belongs to the people of New Hampshire, Belknap County has been vested with local “ownership” and entrusted with specific oversight, operation and care. Duties are lodged primarily within the Commission, under the overall authority of the County Commissioners and the County Delegation, the laEer of which has the primary role of selecting the members of the Commission.

During my first term (2020-2022), during which there was talk and rumor that certain other members of the County Delegation wanted to privatize Gunstock (which would have required successfully jumping several high hurdles), I signed a pledge to take no actions to pursue privatizing Gunstock, a signed pledge that was to have been included in the Minutes of the meeting during which the pledge was put forward. That pledge on my part remains in effect, and I see no basis to change the status of Gunstock as publicly owned.

I voted for four of the five Commissioners, and I believe that the Commission under the
the leadership of Commissioner Lambert have done a fine job both of operating Gunstock and attenuating the politically charged and highly divisive atmosphere that plagued Gunstock for a period of time prior to 2023 until now.

My one recommendation to the Commission would be to be sure that if any major expansion plans are entertained, as was the case under prior Commission leadership and makeup, that it be deemed essential to involve the residents of Belknap County prior to the drafting of any specific plan, both in gauging sentiment for additions and for input as to how any possible movements forward be shaped.

I have no specific ideas at this time for the development of the former 220-acre Laconia State School property. This is not a big issue in Alton and Barnstead, although any good decisions made may well accrue to the benefit and interests of the people in this southern portion of the county. As with any pondered major Gunstock development, again I believe it is essential that the public be solicited for their ideas, ideally via a series of town hall type listening sessions covering each and every area of the county.

The opioid crisis falls within and is a result of a decades-long largely ineffectual so-called “war on drugs.” I am not at all convinced that we have been nearly as focused and made similar efforts to the more successful societal campaigns against drinking and driving, and cigarette smoking. Granted the opioid problem is not either of these but by a different name. However, at the points of attack, I have observed what I have regarded as uneven and uncoordinated actions. I would urge the next Governor to constitute and convene a multi-disciplinary task force to describe the current state of the crisis, identify ways and means to attack the problem cooperatively and comprehensively—informed by current national and international best practices, and propose concrete steps to enact enabling measures.

I have not yet begun to fundraise for my current campaign. I have a growing number of friends locally who have said they will support me, as well as others in the past who are family and friends from earlier times and places during my life. Looking back at the previous campaign cycle, I received one very small donation from a distantly located friend; otherwise, all small, three modest and one large (Belknap County Republican Committee) contributions were from local or elsewhere in the state donors.

To date, I have received two renewed endorsements from persons within my district. I expect more, as I move through the current campaign cycle.

I will not compare myself to other fine candidates. What I will say is that a lifetime of service to my family, with churches and in communities in which I have lived; boards (e.g., school, hospital and Red Cross) on which I have served and the qualities of commitment to listen and treat others with respect (that more recently have earned the admiration of Democrat committee colleagues in the House), four decades of leadership with the churches I have been engaged as pastor and elected positions with regional denominational governing body, where in fact more “liberal” colleagues had very nice things to say to and about me upon my retirement (e.g., irenic spirit); the God-given gig of an ability to both admit and learn from mistakes I have made and to remain humble in my successes; all of these factors have prompted me to want to continue a life of service to my country, state, county and community. It’s who I am.