New Hampshire Democratic Party Platform
Adopted May 16th, 2026
New Hampshire’s greatest strength comes from the opportunities we create for everyone. We work hard, help each other out, and build diverse communities where everyone can belong and thrive.
But today our state faces serious challenges: rising costs, barriers to opportunity, and restoring trust that our government will answer to the people it serves.
The New Hampshire Democratic Party believes responsible, efficient, and effective government means fiscal discipline, accountability, and protecting the freedoms that allow our communities to be strong. Our state will succeed only if we make it more affordable for young people, families, and seniors to live here, work here, and build a life here.
A strong economy starts with lowering everyday costs and investing in the foundations that allow people and businesses to succeed. That means making housing, health care, child care, public education, and energy more available and affordable; and ensuring wages keep pace with the real cost of living. First and foremost we must stop the unfair shifting of costs onto local communities and property taxpayers.
Our state is only as strong as our most vulnerable neighbors. Strong communities and a strong economy depend on an inclusive, thriving democracy where all people are heard, welcomed, protected, and empowered. No matter our circumstances, our abilities, where we live, or who we are, we support and welcome all who share these values.
To make sure the Granite State is the best state to live, work, and raise a family, with a resilient, growing economy and strong communities, New Hampshire Democrats commit to the following values:
Cutting Costs
Building a Strong Economy
A strong economy is built from the ground up. New Hampshire thrives when everyone can afford to live here and businesses have the tools to grow and compete.
Economic strength does not come from alienating New Hampshire from our neighboring communities. It does not come from passing costs from the state to local property taxpayers. It does not come from starving public budgets. Those policies raise property taxes and weaken our communities. Strength comes from forward-thinking investments and regional partnerships that expand opportunity and keep New Hampshire competitive.
- Essential economic infrastructure includes housing, public education, health care and child care.
- Transportation everyone can use includes safe roads, bridges, public transit which connects people, businesses, and communities.
- Reliable state-wide internet access ensures every Granite Stater can learn, work, build a business, and maintain connections anywhere.
- Tourism infrastructure includes arts, culture, and natural beauty which strengthens local economies.
- A reliable safety net stabilizes families and communities during hardship and supports long-term growth.
The people who make New Hampshire run should be able to afford to live and thrive in their communities. Today’s rising housing costs are pushing people out of the market and making it harder for employers and communities to grow.
Addressing this crisis means empowering communities to build the homes Granite Staters need while respecting local values and protecting the character of our towns and cities.
- Responsible development means streamlining unnecessary delays to help expand housing while protecting environmental standards and ensuring local voices are heard.
- Partnerships deliver real solutions. Local governments, nonprofits, and private developers must work together to expand sustainable housing options .
- Seniors should be able to age in place. Reducing property taxes can help older residents remain in the communities they built and love.
- Housing must be within reach for the next generation. Workers and young people need to be able to build their lives here instead of leaving the state.
Child Care Families Can Find and Afford
New Hampshire’s child care shortage is pushing people out of the workforce. Access to safe, affordable child care is essential for working families and a strong economy. When families can find reliable care for their children, parents can participate fully in the workforce, businesses can grow, and children enter school ready to learn.
- Affordable child care should be within reach for every family. We support policies that reduce the financial burden on working parents and expand access to high-quality care across the state.
- Early learning helps children succeed. Investments in early educational programs make sure that our children enter school prepared to thrive.
- Child care providers are essential to our kids, communities, and economy. Strengthening the child care workforce through fair compensation, training, and professional development helps expand access and maintain quality care.
- Communities across New Hampshire need more child care options, including before- and after-school programs that help parents stay in the workforce.
- Employers and communities benefit from strong child care systems. Public-private partnerships can help expand child care availability and support working families.
Good Jobs and Fair Wages
A strong New Hampshire depends on good jobs with wages that keep pace with the cost
of housing, child care, health care, and education. Our entire state prospers when workers
bargain collectively, earn competitive wages, work in safe conditions, have access to
appropriate job training, and enjoy real opportunities to advance.
- The right to organize and bargain collectively must be protected.
- Wages should reflect the real cost of living. Overtime protections and pay equity
must be fully enforced, regardless of gender, ethnic group, or other defining
characteristics. - Every worker deserves to retire with dignity and security.
- Prevailing wage standards help ensure public investments create good local jobs.
- Access to training, apprenticeships, and higher education prepares Granite
Staters for skilled trades and emerging industries. - Immigrants strengthen our workforce and economy, contributing across
industries that support communities throughout the state.
Fiscal Responsibility and Honest Accounting
New Hampshire Democrats believe in sound, prudent management of our state’s finances.
Fiscal responsibility means balanced budgets, honest accounting, and sustainable revenue
– without shifting the costs onto communities, property taxpayers, and those with the
least financial security. The state and local communities work best as partners not
adversaries.
- Balanced budgets must be based on honest revenue projections and reflect the true cost of maintaining essential services.
- Strong local economies are foundational to a strong state economy. The state should not pass costs that are the responsibility of the state onto communities and property taxpayers.
- Sufficient, sustainable revenue is necessary to support public safety, education, infrastructure, environmental protection, and access to justice.
- Recognizing the will of the people, tax policy must reflect the constitutional requirement of fairness and equality while protecting essential programs.
- Our federal delegation works hard to secure funds for New Hampshire that must be responsibly and fully utilized to support our communities.
Protecting Freedoms
Free and Fair Elections
Free and fair elections are the foundation of public trust and accountable government. Every voter must be able to participate safely and have confidence in the election outcome.
Democracy works best when our elected officials reflect the full diversity of our communities, and we will actively recruit, train, and support candidates from underrepresented communities, including people of color, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, immigrants, young people, and other historically marginalized groups, so that all Granite Staters see themselves represented in public office.
- Voting should be accessible, private, secure, and convenient, including removing restrictions on absentee voting.
- We reject efforts to undermine legitimate election results, including attacks on our judicial system, disinformation, or the misuse of artificial intelligence.
- We oppose voter suppression and any measures that make it harder for people to exercise their constitutional right to vote.
- Redistricting must be fair and equitable, free from partisan gerrymandering.
Public Safety and Justice
Individual and collective safety is essential to Granite Staters’ happiness and wellbeing across our communities. All residents deserve equitable treatment and response, regardless of who or where they are.
- The safety of children, individuals, and families is a fundamental function of government and the responsibility of everyone. This includes protecting people from domestic and sexual violence.
- We support a high quality public safety workforce–law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS personnel–through safe working conditions, proper training and staffing, and good retirement benefits.
- We categorically reject any hate speech or behavior with reference to any person based on identity or background.
- We support the due process rights of all individuals, regardless of citizenship.
- We support local communities having the final say in all efforts to site federal detainment and incarceration facilities.
- We believe in responsible gun ownership. This includes universal background checks and the right of communities to restrict guns in certain public places.
- Prevention, education, treatment, diversion programs and rehabilitation are often more effective than incarceration.
- Cannabis should be legalized, regulated, and equitably enforced.
- We support full, fair, and timely access to our courts and the state’s provision of adequate legal counsel for people who cannot afford it.
- We oppose the reinstatement of the death penalty consistent with part 1, article 18 of the New Hampshire Constitution which states, “the true design of all punishments being to reform, not to exterminate mankind.”
- All correctional facilities must provide appropriate health care to those who are incarcerated no matter their identities and abilities.
Equal Opportunities and Equal Protections
New Hampshire derives strength from the contributions of its diverse populations. Our communities grow and thrive when everyone is valued and participates fully in civic, economic, and community life.
- We oppose bigotry, racism, religious intolerance, religious indoctrination, ableism, xenophobia, scapegoating, and any other conduct that harms communities, polarizes our residents, and forces individuals to live life in the shadows.
- Everyone deserves equal protection under the law and freedom from discrimination in employment, housing, education, health care, and public accommodations.
- We support efforts to promote opportunity, fairness, and belonging in workplaces, public schools, and public institutions.
- We acknowledge past and current inequities and injustices against indigenous communities, women, people of color, immigrants, religious communities, people experiencing disability, and LGBTQ+ people.
- We will work to ensure equal rights and equal protections for all.
Supporting the LGBTQ+ Community
We affirm the dignity, equality, and full civil rights of all LGBTQ+ people in every aspect of life. People who identify as LGBTQ+ deserve the same rights and opportunities as everybody else in all aspects of life and society, including education, health care and insurance coverage, participation in sports, public facilities, and career opportunities.
- We recognize and respect transgender people for who they are; transgender women are women, and transgender men are men.
- We believe that health care decisions for LGBTQ+ people belong to patients, their families, and their medical professionals — not politicians.
- We support the privacy, safety, and well-being of LGBTQ+ people of all ages, especially youth, who may face rejection and discrimination and are at an increased risk of suicide and self harm.
- We support equal protection under the law for LGBTQ+ people, including the right to travel. We reject discrimination, harassment, and threats based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
- We recognize that sex and gender are complex and diverse and exist on a spectrum. We respect the many natural variations that exist within the human experience.
- We believe every young person deserves to feel safe, supported, and included in school and in their community. Building inclusive communities strengthens New Hampshire for everyone.
Disability Community
We value people experiencing disability – visible or invisible. Everyone must be afforded access to high-quality education, housing, and competitive, integrated employment in a safe and welcoming work environment.
- We strive to guarantee access to community based services to those with disabilities in order that they may thrive in their communities.
- We support accessible public transportation and rural mobility options, ensuring that people with disabilities can reliably access employment, health care, education, and civic life, no matter where they live in the state.
- We believe that people with disabilities – visible or invisible – must be included on all matters pertaining to their welfare.
Immigrants
Immigration is foundational to our state’s growth and essential to a thriving economy, vibrant culture, and an engaged society.
- We welcome and value all individuals and families who settle lawfully in our state and choose to make New Hampshire their home.
- All immigrants should be treated with dignity and respect.
- We reject the inhumane warehousing and mass detention of immigrants in our state.
- We support efforts to promote civic engagement and participation in the political process among naturalized citizens that reflect the diversity of our communities.
- We will work to ensure that everyone can access basic resources, including emergency services.
Investing in You
Health Care and Reproductive Rights
Health care is a human right and not a privilege. It is essential to individual freedom, economic security, and a strong New Hampshire. Care must be affordable and accessible in every corner of our state — guided by patients and medical professionals, not politicians or insurance companies.
- Every person, including those experiencing disabilities, deserves affordable, comprehensive health care, regardless of income, geography, employment, or identity.
- We will protect and strengthen services for children, seniors, people with disabilities, and working families. We oppose shifting costs to hospitals, employers, and individuals while weakening access to care.
- Decisions about reproductive health care — including contraception, fertility care, and abortion — belong to patients and their providers, free from government interference.
- Public health policy must follow scientific evidence. A strong public health system protects our people, communities, and our economy.
- Insurance companies should not dictate or deny medically necessary care.
- Mental health and substance use treatment must be treated equally to other health care, with prevention, crisis response, and recovery services grounded in dignity and evidence. Defaulting to the criminal justice system is an unfair strain on our resources and leads to poor outcomes.
- All people and communities deserve culturally competent and accessible care.
Education
Public education is the foundation of a free and democratic society and a thriving economy. The continuous attacks on public education undermine our democracy and our future. All students have the right to access a quality education, from early childhood through post-secondary or career training.
- We reject all efforts to divert public funding to parents whose children attend private or religious schools, or are home schooled.
- We recognize the opportunity gaps between and within our communities and support policies to eliminate the gaps for students across income levels and zip codes.
- Public schools are the first line of defense in New Hampshire’s mental health substance use disorder, and child protection crises.
- Students should be taught authentic history and science, accurately and free from partisan politics.
- We reject any attempts to ban books in schools or public libraries. Access to a broad range of perspectives allows for the development of critical thinking skills.
- Increased funding for public community colleges and universities is critical. Students deserve to graduate without a crushing debt burden.
- Students and staff have the rightto teach, learn, and thrive in a safe school environment.
- We oppose any attempts to arm staff or militarize schools under the pretense of school safety.
Climate and Energy
Climate change is real and is a serious threat to New Hampshire’s economy, environment, health, and communities. Eliminating its adverse effects will require greater adoption of renewable energies and energy efficiencies. It is critical to expose and correct false information.
- We support policies that encourage greater use of, and incentives for, clean, renewable energy sources, like wind and solar.
- Energy efficiency and weatherization lower costs for people and businesses.
- Our energy infrastructure needs to be upgraded and state government has a critical role to play to ensure that needed improvements are undertaken. This work will support long-term economic growth in all parts of our state.
- We will work to lower power rates to residents and ensure availability of clean energy credits to the consumer.
- Large energy-intensive data centers must ensure that they do not raise electrical power costs for residents or businesses.
- We will work to update and adopt a comprehensive climate change action plan and for New Hampshire to collaborate with our neighboring states to build a resilient network of abundant and stable energy supplies.
Environment and Agriculture
A healthy New Hampshire environment sustains all life. It provides clean water, air, soil, as well as safe and healthy food from our farms. It maintains human health and the health of our ecosystem for the next generations of our state.
- We value and support our local farmers and their sustainable agricultural practices that support our economy and the quality of life in New Hampshire.
- We are committed to protecting our outdoor resources which allow all of us to enjoy the beauty of our state, provide healthy recreational activities, and actively support our tourism industry.
- Clean air, soil, and water are essential to public health. We are committed to reducing or eliminating highly toxic and cancer-causing chemicals already in our environment.
Veterans and Military Families
We honor and respect our veterans, active duty and reserve military personnel, national guard, and military families.
- The best way to honor our military personnel is to keep our commitment to provide physical and mental health care, education, and disability support throughout their lifetimes.
- We support policies that create employment opportunities for military personnel and their families and address homelessness, mental health, substance use, and suicide.
- We support the expansion of access to all health care services for veterans across the state through contracting with local providers.
First in the Nation Primary
As a small, purple state with unmatched civic participation, we are proud to defend New Hampshire’s First in the Nation Primary and will continue to protect this important status:
- We welcome all candidates to our state, treat them fairly, and take the responsibility of hosting primary candidates seriously.
- We will continue to strengthen the diverse voices in New Hampshire, whose perspectives allow Democrats the opportunity to test the messages and build the programs necessary to win the White House.
- We are committed to letting voters – not party bosses – weigh in on who should be president.
- We will continue to execute a calm, clean, and reliable election process where results are known in a timely manner, the night of the primary.
Respectfully submitted,
The 2026 New Hampshire Democratic Party Platform Committee
Senate Deputy Democratic Leader Cindy Rosenwald, Chair
Representative Luz Bay
Nick Bousquet
Honorable Kevin Cavanaugh
Honorable Shannon Chandley
Maitri Chittidi
Allen Davis
Honorable Manny Espitia
Honorable Sue Ford
Representative James Gruber
Representative Mary Hakken-Phillips
Representative Christal Lloyd
Julia Lynch Williams
Doug Marino
Maddie McCluskey
Honorable Gary Merchant
Lee Ann Potter
Senator Tara Reardon
Honorable Donna Soucy
Donald Stokes
Ethan Underhill