Joyce Craig and Kelly Ayotte made many economic differences clear during a debate Tuesday. Ayotte, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, applauded the elimination of the interest and dividends tax next year, while Craig, the Democratic nominee, said the cut, passed by lawmakers, amounted to a tax cut for the wealthy.
But the candidates were less forthcoming on one key question: How should the next governor handle a potential significant decline in revenues next year?
“Do you have any contingency plan for dealing with a billion dollar shortfall in our budget?” asked Jac Cuddy, the council’s executive director and the moderator of the debate.
Despite multiple prompts during the Mt. Washington Valley Economic Council gubernatorial debate, neither contender fully answered that question. The candidates instead clung to familiar territory, falling back on the policy disagreements that have defined their campaigns.
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But the budget question could be unavoidable for the next governor.
After multiple years of flush state revenues spurred by historic federal stimulus during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as strong revenues from the state’s business taxes, the flow of money is likely to decrease.
New Hampshire’s share of American Rescue Plan Act funds is near an end, with most of the remaining share required to be spent by 2026. And future revenue projections are lower, in part because of the reduction of the interest and dividends tax, according to a monthly revenue report by the Department of Administrative Services.
That means the next governor might face an unpalatable choice when she crafts her first budget: raise taxes to make up revenues or find ways to cut some state programs.
Neither candidate appeared interested in detailing their preferred response to that situation Tuesday.
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Instead, the two sparred over the state’s 2022 abortion law barring most abortions after six months of pregnancy, the value of the state’s education freedom account program, and the best approach to diversifying energy sources and lowering costs.
When it came to the interest and dividends tax, which is due to be phased out after April 2025, Craig painted the tax cut as a handout to wealthier Granite Staters. Research shows that higher income households were much more likely to pay the tax than lower-income households. Craig said she would restore the tax but change the threshold to make sure it would not affect middle class families.
Ayotte said that proposal was tantamount to a tax increase to Granite Staters and used it to bolster her argument that Craig would usher in higher taxes as governor. Craig pledged not to introduce an income or sales tax.
Addressing education funding in the state, Ayotte repeated her opposition to a November Superior Court ruling in which Judge David Ruoff found the state’s $4,100 per pupil base grant for public schools to be unconstitutionally low, and held that it should be at least $7,356.01.
Ayotte said it was inappropriate for the court to have weighed in, arguing the funding level is a question that should be put to the Legislature and the governor. But she did agree that the state should put more money into targeted funds for school districts in which property taxes are inordinately high
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Craig, who supports the ruling, said the current level of state education funding is woefully inadequate and has helped keep property taxes high. She also criticized the education freedom account program, which she said could “decimate” public schools if allowed to grow.
Ayotte countered that the program, which allows low income families to use state education funds toward private school and home school expenses, provides educational opportunities for children who aren’t succeeding in their public school.
The two agreed that they would not support overriding local zoning codes using state statutes in order to facilitate more housing. But both candidates do support some of those zoning overhauls, and both have endorsed legislation to require towns to allow more accessory dwelling units to be developed by property owners.
On energy policy, Ayotte argued that Craig’s positions in favor of expanding clean energy would prove too costly and were too aligned with other New England states. Craig countered that the reforms are necessary to reduce the state’s carbon footprint and that they would ultimately lower costs.
And on many answers, the two candidates returned to familiar attack lines – Ayotte accusing Craig of adopting progressive policies akin to Massachusetts and failing to lead Manchester through a drug and homelessness crisis, and Craig hammering Ayotte over her past votes as U.S. Senator to defund Planned Parenthood and her support for the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
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After about an hour, the state budget question remained largely unaddressed.
“I’m just cranky and old at this point, and I haven’t done very well as far as getting you to answer questions about the huge potential budget deficit that we have,” Cuddy said. “So as we get closer to finishing up, the more specific you can be, the more I’d appreciate it.”
This Mother’s Day, the NHFPI team is recognizing the hard work of New Hampshire mothers by doing what we do best: highlighting key data that underscores both the challenges mothers face and the vital contributions they make across the Granite State.
Below are five key facts surrounding New Hampshire’s mothers and families.
Mothers with children under age 18 make up 13% of NH labor force
Based on 2020-2024 aggregated data, there were approximately 125,418 Granite State mothers between the ages of 20 to 64 with children under 18 years old who lived with them. Among this group, about 80% were in the labor force.
Mothers ages 20 to 64 with at least one child under 18 years old made up about 13% of the total 2024 Granite State labor force. However, labor force participation varied depending on the age and number of children in the household. Here’s how that total 13% breaks down:
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3%: Mothers with at least one child under age 6
2%: Mothers with at least one child under 6 and at least one child between 6-17
8%: Mothers with at least one child between ages 6-17
While many parents may choose to remain out of the labor force to care for children, the high cost and low availability of child care may push many mothers to reduce their work hours or leave the workforce entirely. The average cost for an infant and four-year-old in center-based care in New Hampshire was nearly $30,000 per year during the 2022-2024 period; this equates to about 19.0% of household income for median-income married couples with children under 18 ($157,670 in median household income in 2020-2024), and 59.1% for median-income single mothers ($50,766).
More than half of NH mothers took unpaid maternity leave in 2023
While maternity leave can allow women to remain in the labor force after giving birth and bond with their newborn, access to paid leave may be limited for some Granite State mothers. According to 2023 data collected by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, 52.2% of mothers took paid leave and 54.5% took unpaid leave, with some mothers taking a combination of both; 7.1% did not take any leave from work after their child was born.
While the survey data does not specify how long mothers were out of work, both paid and unpaid leave time varies depending on workplace and governmental policy. The New Hampshire Paid Family and Medical Leave (NH PFML) Program is a voluntary insurance program that provides workers with 60% wage replacement for up to six weeks per year when they take time off for qualifying life events, including caring for a new child. However, unawareness of the program, a lack of access among smaller employers, concerns around job loss, and affordability constraints can deter enrollment, with only around 3% of Granite State workers participating in the program in 2025.
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave with job protection for eligible employees, although many families may not be able to forgo that income and still cover household costs. Nationally, new mothers returning to the workforce take an average of ten weeks of maternity leave, including both paid and unpaid time.
About 23% of all single female-headed families with children live in poverty
According to 2020-2024 aggregated data, around 2.3% of married-couple Granite State families with at least one related child under five years old lived in poverty. In contrast, single female-headed families with a child or children all under five years old were more than thirteen times more likely to live in poverty, with over one out of four families (29.3%) having household incomes below the federal poverty threshold.
According to the same five-year data, having at least two related children, one under age five and one between the ages of five and 17 years, increased a family’s likelihood of living in poverty. Around 47.8% of single female-headed households with this family composition were in poverty, compared to only about 2.3% of married-couple families.
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Healthcare barriers remain for postpartum mental health services
Adequate health care access before, during, and following pregnancy is crucial for maintaining and improving the health status of a mother and her baby. According to the most recent data from 2023, around 85.9% of Granite State mothers started prenatal care during the first trimester, with 88.5% attending at least nine prenatal care visits throughout their pregnancy. Around 94.7% reported having at least one postpartum checkup.
Despite relatively high prenatal and postpartum care, engagement with the health care system before pregnancy was more limited. Among those who had a health care visit in the 12 months before their pregnancy, 69.2% had a regular family or primary care visit, 67.3% had a regular OB/GYN visit, and 20.4% had a visit for family planning services.
New mothers are also more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety and depression. In 2023, about 69.7% of Granite State mothers reported being able to receive needed mental health services following birth. Among those who were not able to receive that needed care, the most common reasons identified by mothers included not having the time due to work, child care, or other commitments (44.9%); not knowing where to go for services (40.2%); not being able to afford care (24.1%); and not being able to get an appointment as soon as they needed (20.0%).
Medicaid finances more than a fifth of healthcare services for new Granite State mothers
Medicaid is a state-federal fiscal partnership that provides health coverage for New Hampshire adults and children with low incomes, people with disabilities, certain older adults, and other eligible populations. In 2023, New Hampshire expanded Medicaid coverage for new mothers, permitting up to 12 months of postpartum coverage regardless of income changes.
Medicaid remains crucial for providing health care access for new mothers and their children across the state. In 2023, around 21% of births in New Hampshire were financed through Medicaid, and nearly 24% of mothers had their prenatal and postpartum care covered by Medicaid. Future data, if made available, can provide more insight into the results of recently expanded coverage.
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On this Mother’s Day, these data highlight how New Hampshire mothers play a crucial role in supporting families, communities, and the state’s economy, while also navigating financial and health-related challenges. Policies that expand access to affordable child care, paid leave opportunities, and accessible health care can help ensure Granite State mothers and families have the support they need to thrive.
WINDHAM, N.H. (WHDH) – Police are searching for a person seen on camera driving across a lawn in Windham, New Hampshire.
Windham police say on April 25, around midnight, a driver plowed across a lawn on Trails Edge Road in Windham.
Police say the vehicle is believed to be a late 1990s-early 2000s Chevrolet Silverado, but the color in unknown due to the video being black and white.
A next-door neighbor says their driveway was just redone one day before the incident.
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“The boys came in the other morning. I was surprised I didn’t hear anything,” she said. “That’s not that bad but kind of scary, though. I just hope it never happens again.”
The incident is still under investigation.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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Ice coats instruments, buildings and rock fields atop Mount Washington. The peak’s extreme weather is one reason members of the Mount Washington Commission say they are seeking potential UNESCO World Heritage Site status for the peak. (Photo by Charlie Peachey, courtesy of the Mount Washington Observatory)
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Egypt’s Great Pyramids, Arizona’s Grand Canyon … and New Hampshire’s own Mount Washington?
At their April meeting, the group of institutions that steward the Northeast’s tallest mountain voted, 9-1, to take a preliminary step toward pursuing UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for the peak. The process may take years to decades, but if it is successful, Mount Washington could become the first site in New England to rank on the internationally recognized list.
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The possibility requires unique considerations, commission members said, including the need it would create to manage increased visitation that is already straining the summit’s alpine ecosystem and infrastructure.
Mount Washington Commission Chair Rob Kirsch believes the designation would be a boon for the mountain, bringing in not only more visitors but also more funding to invest in making the peak more resilient to traffic. Kirsch said he sees the application as a chance to showcase the wonder of Mount Washington at a grander scale.
“It will lead to an improved experience for people, generally,” Kirsch said. “It will give the state something to really be proud of.”
A property must meet at least one of 10 criteria to be considered for World Heritage Site status, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Mount Washington could invoke several categories in its application, including one for sites that “contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.”
There are many steps before Mount Washington could potentially be added to that list. The motion approved at the April 17 meeting of the Mount Washington Commission was the first: At that meeting, the commission approved pursuing “Tentative List” status for the mountain. One site is selected from that national list each year for submission to the United Nations World Heritage Committee.
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To move ahead, the application must receive support from the federal government. The commission has engaged with federal officials, and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has been supportive of the project, commission members said.
“Mount Washington’s unique natural environment, scientific significance and rich history deserve global recognition,” Shaheen said in a statement to the Bulletin. “I am proud to support the Commission as they work to have our region’s most iconic peak designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.”
From here, Kirsch said, the process may take decades. UNESCO designation typically boosts visitorship to a site, and proponents generally point to the associated regional economic boost as a benefit of the status. But the list has also been criticized as contributing to overtourism that can degrade sites or harm the communities around them. While it can boost public awareness of a place, there is no funding attached to the status itself.
The Mount Washington Commission is guided by a 2022 master plan for the mountain’s stewardship and conservation. In November 2025, the commission reviewed preliminary results from an assessment conducted as part of that plan, showing that crowds and climate change were large factors in the strain on the summit’s delicate natural environment and aging infrastructure.
With significant investment, the summit could readily accommodate significant crowds, said Kirsch, who is also an environmental lawyer, former weather observer at the Mount Washington Observatory, and a member of the observatory’s board of trustees. It’s not clear yet where the money for those investments will come from, but Kirsch said he hoped the UNESCO designation would help.
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“You can bring as many people as you want to Mount Washington as long as you make sufficient infrastructure investment to protect the environment,” he said.
The commission is still waiting for more results from the summit’s environmental assessment, but Kirsch said the boost to visitation would not affect the environment if the commission adheres to the guidelines laid out in the Master Plan. Rather, he said, the investments he hopes designation would help secure could help prevent any danger from overcrowding and ensure the mountain’s environment is protected.
He added that the benefit of a UNESCO designation would go beyond the businesses operating on the mountain — which include the Mount Washington Auto Road and the Mount Washington Cog Railway — to boost others throughout the North Country.
This story was originally produced by the New Hampshire Bulletin, an independent local newsroom that allows NH Business Review and other outlets to republish its reporting.
