CONCORD — Out of Joe Biden’s shadow, Vice President Kamala Harris’s historic campaign to become the nation’s first woman president began well here this past week, though she didn’t lack for detractors.
“I think Granite Staters are really excited to have Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket,” said Craig Brown, who was state director of her 2020 presidential run.
“She is someone who has really been a fighter her entire career. … She has what it takes to be president,” Brown said.
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But to win New Hampshire this November, Harris will need a script vastly different from the one that received lousy reviews during her first presidential bid four years ago.
Harris never got to the 2020 presidential candidate filing gate in New Hampshire, dropping out in December 2019, weeks after her campaign said she would “mail” in her candidacy papers rather than show up in person.
“To call that campaign an epic failure is a gross understatement,” said Greg Moore, regional director for Americans for Prosperity, a fiscally conservative group that backed Nikki Haley’s 2024 White House run.
After a successful New Hampshire visit, Harris infamously said on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah that New Hampshire journalists acted surprised that a woman of color would spend so much time campaigning in mostly white New Hampshire.
“The first line of questioning I got was, ‘You’re in New Hampshire, and we heard you’re not going to come to New Hampshire. We thought you weren’t going to compete in New Hampshire,’” Harris said at the time.
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“And what no one said, but the inference was, well, the demographic of New Hampshire is not who you are in terms of your race and who you are.”
Since being elected with Biden in 2020, Harris has been in the state once, for an April 2021 visit that was well-received. Her husband has been here twice.
A wide open race
Pat Griffin, a Republican media strategist who worked on the ground here to help elect both Bush presidents, said, “She truly has been thus far a terrible candidate — the cackle, the prancing around, it’s difficult to watch.
“All that said, she has one important thing Joe Biden did not have. She behaves 24/7 like she’s truly alive, and against Donald Trump, with all the baggage he has, that counts for a lot.”
Academics and political insiders agree Harris has a brief window to cultivate an image that offers a contrast not just to Trump but to her current boss.
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Then-candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris spar during a 2020 Democratic presidential debate in Detroit in August 2019. Some observers say Harris’s performance then makes them look forward to a debate with Donald Trump.
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Lucas Jackson/Reuters File
“This race is now wide open both here and nationally,” said Neil Levesque, executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.
“If she takes this moment to sort of change things, it could really have an impact. Whether she does it or not is the question. She is not brand-new, she’s a known commodity, but there is the potential to reshape her image as someone other than a West Coast left-wing liberal.”
As if on cue, a new University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll of New Hampshire voters has Harris leading Trump 49% to 43%, with a solid 45% to 33% edge among independent voters.
In a UNH poll in May, 84% of Democrats were solidly backing Biden. In the new poll, conducted Tuesday through Thursday, the party base support for Harris was up to 94%.
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Dante Scala, professor of politics at UNH, believes this quick sprint to Nov. 5 will work in Harris’s favor.
“They don’t have to worry about overthinking it,” Scala said. “So many times we see candidates and campaigns try way too hard. This is going to be all about impulse and instincts. If she has the right ones, this could go real well.”
Scala said her 14th-place showing in the New Hampshire primary after she quit the race won’t matter a whit.
“You remember all that, I remember all that, but most voters don’t even have a memory of her as a presidential candidate,” Scala said. “In that respect, she’s a clean slate.”
Appeal to youth
There’s no disputing that young Democratic-leaning voters are energized by the prospect of nominating Harris, 59, rather than Biden, 81.
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New Hampshire has 11 young delegates going to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, one of the largest groups per capita of any state in the nation.
“Young people know what’s at stake this fall because our rights are on the ballot,” said K.R. Epstein of Manchester, one of those younger delegates. “We also know that young people have the power to sway presidential elections and Vice President Kamala Harris is focused on earning our votes. I know that VP Harris has the ability to take on Donald Trump and win.”
Another young delegate, Prescott Herzog of Claremont, said he’s confident Harris will reunite the Democratic Party.
“This will be my first time voting in a presidential election. and I couldn’t be prouder to cast my vote for Kamala Harris,” Herzog said.
“Her work with President Biden enacting legislation on the issues young voters care about, from climate to gun violence, shows that she will continue the Biden-Harris administration’s effectiveness.”
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After fiercely fighting to preserve the state’s first-in-the-nation primary, Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley said he was determined to put together a delegate slate that looked like America. He did it with many minority delegates and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley conducts a press briefing with fellow democrats including Sen. Becky Whitley (D-Hopkinton) at a party office in downtown Nashua on Wednesday.
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DAVID LANE/UNION LEADER
Concord lobbyist Jim Demers, who has been a pledged delegate to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, said this may prove to be his most memorable convention.
“I’ve never been this stoked for a convention before. They are all fun, but this one is one for the history books,” said Demers. “I am really thrilled for the youngest members of the delegation, because this is a great story they’ll be able to tell their grandchildren.”
State Rep. Latha Mangipudi, D-Nashua, a superdelegate to the convention this time and a leader in the state’s growing Indian community, said “it’s long past time” for a woman to ascend to the nation’s highest office.
“We have even had Third World nations that have had women presidents. This is the time, this is the election, this is the candidate,” Mangipudi said.
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Delegate Sumathi Madhure, a physical therapist, said she had doubts there would be a South Asian on the presidential ticket in her lifetime. Now there’s an even shot one becomes president.
“Fairly or not, there was some apathy out there with President Biden at the top of the ticket,” Madhure said during a news conference this past week. “Now, all that is gone and wiped away.”
State Rep. Latha Mangipudi, D-Nashua, talks with then-U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris during Harris’s presidential campaign stop in Nashua in May 2019.
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Kimberly Houghton/Union Leader File
A surge of energy
Despite her stumbles as a candidate in 2020, Harris had her moments, including her comments at the first presidential debate about Biden’s past support for forced busing.
“I for one can’t wait for that debate or debates with Donald Trump,” said former state House Speaker Terie Norelli, D-Portsmouth, and the first female Democrat to lead the 400-person House.
“What’s most amazing to me was that this surge of energy came flooding in literally in an instant. You can’t manufacture that.”
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Scala believes the election here may be determined by the middle-class male vote, which Trump won decisively in 2016 but Biden securely captured in 2020.
“How they vote will determine if this is a nail-biter like it was for Hillary Clinton (who narrowly won here) in 2016 or a pretty easy ride like it was for Biden four years later,” Scala said.
“Yes, we’re a swing state, but a Democratic-presidential leaning state.”
Griffin, the Republican media strategist, said he just doesn’t know where the small but pivotal number of truly undecided voters will move here and in other swing states.
“I think she’s got a better shot at them because so many have looked at Trump and decided they aren’t eating that dog food,” Griffin said. But, he said, “She has to make a very strong sell.”
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Buckley, the state Democratic Party chair, thinks his party’s secret weapon is its ground game. Democrats have 16 field offices and counting. Trump has a single headquarters and only has started to bring on a few dedicated staffers.
The reality is the Trump team nationally views the Granite State and its four electoral votes as a luxury — one they don’t need to get to the 280 needed to clinch the victory.
“Trump’s not going to play here,” Buckley said.
Scala said the 2024 race is all about Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona.
But New Hampshire still could be telling.
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“Come September, if New Hampshire is still a toss-up, very much in play for Trump, then that’s a very bad look for Harris,” Scala said.
Emily (Em) Madeline Peters, 28, passed away on April 29, 2026 in Boston. Em was born on February 27, 1998 in Rochester, NY. Our family moved to Amherst, NH in 1999.
Em attended school in Amherst and graduated from Souhegan High School in 2016. Em enjoyed photography and art where they demonstrated a talent for painting. Em also enjoyed playing the guitar and ukulele. Em was part of the Amherst Congregational Church Youth Group where they participated in mission trips to serve the communities in Tennessee and New York City.
After high school, Em lived and worked in New Hampshire, Cape Cod and the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. Em was a devoted friend who dedicated themselves to causes that supported the LGBTQ+ community. Em also was always prepared to help those living with addiction. They carried Narcan with them and used it several times to help someone who had overdosed. They were passionate about equality and fairness in the workplace which led them to take action. Em helped lead workers to organize and form a union at a grocery store where they worked. Em also worked for a non-profit organization providing food, clothing and child care to those that needed help.
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Em is survived by their parents, Eileen Marie (Hodges) Peters and David Lester Peters of Amherst, NH; brother Andrew Partrick Peters of Merrimack, NH; sister Katherine MacKenzie Peters of Essex, MA.; and grandfather Gerald L. Hodges, Jr. of Rochester, NY. Em is also survived by many aunts, uncles and cousins. Em is predeceased by her maternal grandmother Mary “Dolly” (Curley) Hodges and paternal grandparents Eugene Monroe Peters and Gloria Shirley (Thorne) Peters.
Some of our fondest and happiest memories were spent together on family vacations. Whether we were camping, visiting Old Orchard Beach, or exploring national parks, we were happy. Em’s time on this earth was far too short. We loved them dearly and they will always remain in our hearts. We will miss their good-natured teasing and many inside jokes. We will miss their creativity, compassion for others, and their beautiful smile.
Family and friends are warmly welcomed to attend calling hours at Michaud Funeral Home, 32 Maple Street in Wilton, NH on Sunday, May 24, 2026, from 2 – 4 pm. A service will be held following calling hours at the funeral home. The arrangements are in the care of the Michaud Funeral Home, 32 Maple St., Wilton, NH. To view an online obituary or leave a condolence, please visit our web site at www.michaudfuneralhome.com
House Democrats have a nearly perfect record of voting against proposed bans on personal income taxes. On Thursday, they’ll face a different dilemma:
Whether to vote in favor of giving the state the power to impose a progressive income tax.
Rep. Thomas Oppel, D-Canaan, plans to bring an amendment to the floor Thursday “providing that: the legislature may impose progressive-based income taxes, and revenues derived from such taxes be used exclusively to fund public schools in order to offset local property taxes.”
Oppel was part of the “Cut Our Property Taxes!” group organized by former Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky to push for the so-called “3-3 Tax Savings Plan” that would institute a 3% income tax for all residents and a $3 tax per $1,000 of equalized property value for all homeowners.
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His amendment Thursday goes further, imposing a graduated income tax.
“Any assessments, rates, and taxes imposed on income shall be considered reasonable and proportional if they are imposed at the same rates across the state even though they are imposed and levied progressively; that is, at rates that rise or increase in whole or in part, as the income being taxed increases,” Oppel’s amendment reads.
House rules allow any member to offer an amendment to any legislation, but even if there were procedural barriers, Republicans are happy to have Democrats cast this vote. Democratic leaders like Rep. Alexis Simpson, D-Exeter, and Sen. Rebecca Perkins-Kwoka, D-Portsmouth, have publicly rejected an income tax and can’t be happy to have it back in the election-year conversation. Republicans, on the other hand, greeted the news with delight.
“House Democrats just filed an amendment to push for an income tax and hijack the state constitution,” the House GOP posted Tuesday. “House Democrats know Granite Staters overwhelmingly oppose an income tax. They do not care. Our message has not changed: HELL NO to income tax. Not now. Not ever.”
And House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, added, “The Committee to Elect House Republicans would like to make Taxin’ Tom Oppel an honorary board member.”
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Income taxes are a tricky issue for Democrats, as Joyce Craig demonstrated in her failed 2024 governor’s race. Democrats like Cinde Warmington insist they oppose a broad-based sales or income tax. However, they’re also promising voters they will lower their property taxes.
Volinsky’s approach is to use an income tax to shift about $1 billion from property taxes to income taxes, lowering the property tax burden.
Warmington has yet to say where she would find the money to lower property taxes without cutting state funding to public schools.
Republicans like Rep. Dan McGuire, R-Epsom, head of Granite State Taxpayers, want to tackle high property taxes by controlling spending. They’re pushing a bill to put a local property tax cap on the ballot in every community.
“Our outrageous property tax levels are the result of unchecked spending on schools and, in particular, school administration,” said McGuire. “Well-run states in this regard, like Idaho and Utah, spend half as much per pupil as we do and get similar results.
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“Voters in November will get a chance to stem the bleeding if the Senate and House can get together on HB 1300, a school property tax cap bill.”
Polls show more than 70% of Granite Staters oppose an income tax.
This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.
Jetting off to a private island for the summer may seem like a luxury enjoyed only by the ultrawealthy—but in New Hampshire, that dream is readily available for nearly $100,000 less than the national median home price.
The 7,800-square-foot isle in Milan, NH, which is on the market for just $337,700, is home to a fully-sustainable cottage that was designed as “the ultimate escape from the everyday,” something that is readily achieved by the property’s remote location.
Accessible only by water—or ice during the coldest winter months—the island can be completely cut off from civilization should the next owner desire, a rare feature that has helped the dwelling to bob right to the top of the week’s most popular homes list.
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The exclusive off-grid retreat, which is tucked away on Nay Pond in New Hampshire’s North Country, has been outfitted with several eco-friendly amenities that allow it to continue running without assistance from the mainland, including solar power, a backup generator, a water collection system, and a composting toilet.
Designed for buyers seeking a true escape where the only visitors dropping by are local loons, the getaway is accessible during all four seasons. It has a boat dock for access during the warmer months and “direct snowmobile trail access” in the winter.
The home can accommodate eight guests, making it an ideal investment property for investors seeking additional rental income, or it could be used as a family getaway.
Other properties grabbing attention this week are a historic log home with four guest cabins in Montana, an Italian Renaissance Revival home in Louisiana, and a 1902 Georgian Revival and neoclassical landmark in Indiana.
Price: $4,490,000
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Why it’s here: It’s a four-bedroom luxury mountain retreat tucked away on 43.92 wooded acres with multiple springs, creeks, and a pond. It’s being sold at auction without reserve on May 23.
The chateau-inspired residence “designed for those seeking the ultimate privacy” offers long-range mountain views that reach Tennessee “on a clear day.”
Designed for grand-scale entertaining, the 5,000-square-foot interior features a luxurious chef’s kitchen with dual refrigerators and dishwashers, a lavish primary suite with marble shower and covered terrace, and a secondary suite with a kitchenette. The lower level could be transformed into a studio, wellness center, or entertainment level.
Multiple covered decks and a covered back porch overlook an outdoor fireplace and offer scenic mountain views.
Teresa Bryant Brown of Teresa B. Brown is the listing agent.
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44-acre estate in Burnsville, NCRealtor.com
Price: $850,000
Why it’s here: Here’s the chance to step back in time with this 200-year-old hand-hewn log home.
Offering just 690 square feet of space, the tiny two-bedroom residence boasts a vintage-inspired interior with original wide-plank wood floors, exposed beams, vaulted ceilings, a stone fireplace, a Dutch door, and a hand-painted sink. The kitchen features a herringbone-patterned original brick floor along with modern appliances.
A bluestone slate patio found out back overlooks the 6.41-acre lot, which also has a pond and a brook.
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Josephine O’Leary Weir of Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty is the listing agent.
Log home in Ossining, NYRealtor.com
Price: $1,549,000
Why it’s here: Calling all investors! Here’s the chance to buy a historic log home with four guest cabins located on 24.25 acres overlooking Trapper Creek. It is currently being used as a fishing lodge.
The “income-producing retreat” is dotted by ponds, outbuildings, outdoor areas, and an expansive deck designed for entertaining and soaking in the tranquil scenery. Offering hunting and fishing opportunities onsite, the property is also located near Lost Trail Powder Mountain and the Bitterroot River.
While the cabins “provide immediate rental potential,” they could also be used to create a multigenerational legacy compound, event venue, or corporate getaway.
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Jani Summers of Engel & Volkers Western Frontier – Hamilton is the listing agent.
24.25-acre property with four cabins in Darby, MTRealtor.com
Price: $499,900
Why it’s here: Built in 1930, this Italian Renaissance Revival home features many period details and modern conveniences.
Original hardwood floors, a grand staircase, and arched doorways can be found throughout the 4,139-square-foot interior. A formal living room surrounded by oversized windows has a gas fireplace with an ornate mantel. Other highlights include a sunroom, a spacious eat-in kitchen with updated appliances, and a light-filled formal dining room.
A large carport can accommodate three vehicles.
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Allison M Romaguera of WayMaker Realty is the listing agent.
Historic home in Marrero, LARealtor.com
Price: $1,125,000
Why it’s here: It’s a 160-acre, off-grid, prepper’s paradise nestled near Trinity National Forest. It features high-end finishes and luxurious amenities.
The two-bedroom sustainable residence boasts heated concrete floors, solar power, fire-resistant wood paneling, an outdoor shower, and a private well. Multiple skylights can be found throughout the 3,000-square-foot interior.
A modern kitchen has quartz and butcher block countertops and a built-in dining bench. The sun-soaked living room has a brick fireplace and sliders that open to a covered patio.
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A detached three-car garage with electric charging capabilities and a mobile home for guests can also be found on the enormous lot.
Doren Morgan of California Outdoor Properties is the listing agent.
160-acre off-grid estate in Douglas City, CARealtor.com
Price: $749,995
Why it’s here: The Charles Over Mansion is a “meticulously restored” 1902 Georgian Revival and neoclassical landmark.
Historic highlights include Corinthian columns, custom millwork, preserved hardwood floors, solid oak and leaded-glass entry doors, original terrazzo floors, crystal chandeliers, leaded and stained glass, coffered ceilings, pocket doors, and five fireplaces.
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The 12,892-square-foot residence also features a formal dining room with oak wainscoting, a drawing room, a kitchen with commercial-grade appliances, a grand staircase with dual built-in bench seating, and a third-floor “speakeasy-style retreat” with brick floors, a guest suite, and a hidden ballroom with a stage, media lounge, and dance floor.
An expansive front porch and second-level portico were designed for relaxing.
Shawna Lubus of Compass of Indiana is the listing agent.
Georgian Revival estate in Muncie, INRealtor.com
Price: $375,000
Why it’s here: Built in 1960 by architect B. Milton Cuppy Jr. as his personal residence, this midcentury home was “rescued in 2023” and restored to its original beauty.
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Original terrazzo floors, glass walls, multiple skylights, and period-specific enhancements can be found throughout the 2,280-square-foot dwelling. The four-bedroom residence with a two-car attached garage also features a retro kitchen with 1960s electric range and salvaged original tile lining the 2.5 bathrooms.
A large wood deck overlooks the 1-acre wooded lot.
Christy Kalavsky of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Indiana Realty is the listing agent.
B. Milton Cuppy Jr.’s midcentury home in Indianapolis, INRealtor.com
Price: $179,900
Why it’s here: This A-frame residence surprises with its very own private cave carved into a bluff, surrounded by a towering rock wall and tucked away behind the cabin!
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Located on 2 acres in the gated second-home community of Aspenhof, the 1,632-square-foot abode features a two-story living room with a wood-burning stove and sliders that open to a wraparound deck. Loft-style accommodations can be found upstairs, offering three sleeping areas. According to the listing, “most furnishings can remain with the property.”
It also comes with exclusive access to four private lakes designed for fishing, swimming, and nonmotorized boating.
Dan Dieckmann of Innsbrook Properties is the listing agent.
A-frame cabin with a cave in Marthasville, MORealtor.com
Price: $2,639,000
Why it’s here: The Tobias Langdon House pre-dates the Declaration of Independence and still features much of its historic charm.
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Built in 1710, the four-bedroom Colonial has been thoughtfully modernized while still preserving many period details. Highlights include custom millwork, original wide-plank floors, built-ins, multiple fireplaces, and dual staircases. A country kitchen has high-end appliances as well as a cooking fireplace.
A lushly landscaped back garden with a brick patio has views of the nearby Piscataqua River and also overlooks a fully equipped outdoor kitchen designed for entertaining.
Patrick Carey of Carey Giampa, LLC/Seabrook Beach is the listing agent.
1710 home in Portsmouth, NHRealtor.com
Price: $337,700
Why it’s here: Here’s the chance to buy a sustainable two-bedroom home and live on your very own private island on Nay Pond!
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The secluded sanctuary features a 600-square-foot home where the only neighbors are local loons. The eco-friendly residence designed for “self-sufficient living” features a backup generator, solar power, a water collection system, a composting toilet, and a gas fireplace. Pull-down stairs lead to an unfinished sleeping area.
Designed as a vacation rental or private getaway, the year-round property can be accessed by snowmobiles during the winter and boats during the warmer months.
“No offers will be accepted until May 17, 2026,” according to the listing.
Debi Davis of Re/Max Northern Edge Realty is the listing agent.
