Help Save New Hampshire in 2022.
by Barbara Head, February 1, 2022. New England epitomizes a political blue alliance – a unified bastion of Democratic values and people. Until 2020, our sister state of New Hampshire fit the New England image by consistently supporting Democratic presidential candidates. And both the New Hampshire Senate and House federal legislators are blue.
But since then, New Hampshire state politics have been jarringly out of step with the rest of New England. In 2020, the Republican party unexpectedly flipped both chambers of the state legislature, creating a trifecta with conservative governor John Sununu – completely transforming the political landscape in the state.
In 2021, NH House Representatives introduced more than two dozen voter suppression bills. A long-shot proposal to secede from the union is currently in committee. And Gov. Sununu, nominally a “pro-choice” governor, has signed a budget including anti-abortion provisions that are considerably stricter than those of neighboring states. The new restrictions:
- Make post 24-week abortions illegal, even in cases of rape, incest, and fetal anomaly;
- Require invasive vaginal ultrasound to determine age of gestation;
- Criminalize health care providers who perform such abortions.
Clearly, the political faction that has spawned draconian abortion restrictions in states like Texas and Mississippi has now taken root in New Hampshire. Can further loss of rights be far behind in this “blue” New England state?
Democratic US legislators Senator Maggie Hassan and House Representative Chris Pappas are also in GOP crosshairs for 2020. Republicans are taking special aim at Pappas, the first openly gay man to represent New Hampshire, to flip his highly gerrymandered seat. There are only two US House seats in the state, so each carries considerable weight. Both vulnerable incumbents need to be defended to maintain our slim majorities in the Senate and House.
Take Action – Help Save New Hampshire!
To find opportunities such as post carding, letter writing, canvassing and phone banking, check out our NH Actions Page. We update our actions regularly, so check back often.
The Planned Parenthood New Hampshire engages in (from their website): educational and electoral activity, including legislative advocacy, voter education, and grassroots organizing. PPNHAF works to pass and defeat legislation, elect public officials, and influence the political climate in New Hampshire to protect and expand access to reproductive health care.