2022 State Candidate Survey

Each election year Citizens Count sends an issue survey to every candidate for state and federal office in New Hampshire. We make every attempt to contact candidates by snail-mail, email, and phone. Candidate survey responses are the primary source for issue positions shown on the Citizens Count website. If a candidate does not respond to the Citizens Count survey, staff will search for candidate issue positions published in newspapers, posted on Facebook, etc.

The issues included in the survey are selected based on input from our online community, consultation with experts, and a review of legislation and candidate platforms. The list below shows questions included on the 2022 survey sent to candidates for state representative, state senator, and governor.

Broad-based sales tax

Should NH add a broad-based sales tax?

Broad-based income tax

Should NH add an income tax on earned income?

Business tax decrease

Should New Hampshire lower business taxes?

Phasing out Interest and Dividends tax

Do you support the gradual phase-out of the Interests and Dividends tax?

Business tax credit for student loan repayment

Should New Hampshire add a tax credit for businesses that contribute to student loan repayment for employees?

Minimum wage increase

Should New Hampshire raise the minimum wage?

Encourage local zoning changes for housing development

Should the state do more to encourage municipalities to remove zoning barriers to housing development?

Permanent increase to local revenue sharing

Should the state permanently increase how much tax revenue it shares with towns and cities every year, beyond public school funding?

Majority of public school funding through local property taxes

Do you support New Hampshire’s current system of public school funding, with about two-thirds of total funding coming from local property taxes?

"Education Freedom Account" program

Do you support the “Education Freedom Account” program, which gives students access to the per-pupil share of state school funding to spend on private school or home school expenses?

Ban on teaching certain concepts related to race

Do you support the state law that bans teaching certain concepts, such as the idea that people may be "inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously"?

Ban on discussing sexual orientation, gender identity in K-3

Should New Hampshire ban discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in grades K-3?

Repeal ban on abortion after 24 weeks

Should New Hampshire repeal the ban on abortion after 24 weeks gestation?

Guarantee right to abortion before 24 weeks

Should New Hampshire guarantee the right to access abortion before 24 weeks?

Ban abortion during 2nd trimester

Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the second trimester (e.g. after 15 weeks gestation)?

Ban abortion during 1st trimester

Should New Hampshire ban abortions during the first trimester (e.g. after 6 weeks gestation)?

Marijuana legalization with home-growing, no sales

Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by allowing home-growing and private use without sales?

Marijuana legalization with private sales

Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by licensing growers and private retail locations?

Marijuana legalization with state-run stores

Should New Hampshire legalize the recreational use of marijuana by establishing state-run cannabis stores?

Stricter gun laws

Should NH pass stricter gun control laws?

Extending renewable energy portfolio standard

Should New Hampshire extend the renewable portfolio standard past 2025, requiring public utilities to obtain more than 25% of electricity from renewable energy sources?

Climate change action

Should New Hampshire government do more to address climate change?

Electric vehicle fees

Should New Hampshire add a fee or mileage charge for electric vehicle owners to help pay for transportation and/or electric infrastructure?

Mail-in voting

Do you support the option of mail-in ballots for all voters, not just absentees?

Conditional, affidavit ballots for new voters

Do you support giving voters who register without ID on Election Day a ballot that only counts if they return identifying documents to the state before a deadline?