New Hampshire
He says he’s not campaigning, so what is Joe Manchin doing in New Hampshire?
Manchester, New Hampshire — It’s presidential primary season, and less than two weeks before the New Hampshire primary, while politicians are trekking across the state asking for votes, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is here, too.
He’s not on either major party’s primary ballot, but he’s not exactly ruling out running for president, and he was in Manchester Friday talking to voters.
“I’m not here campaigning. I’m here basically, concerned about my country, same as you,” Manchin told a room of donors and local political leaders at St. Anselm College, at the first of two events featuring the longtime West Virginia Democrat. “Wherever life takes me, I’m willing to do, but I’m gonna give everything I have to save the country.”
Manchin, who announced earlier this year he would not seek reelection to his Senate seat, headed to New Hampshire to start a national “listening tour” along with his daughter, Heather Manchin Bresch, as they launch their centrist political group, Americans Together, aimed at pushing major political donors into promoting more moderate-leaning candidates and policies.
He said he’d consider a third-party run if President Biden and former President Donald Trump win their respective parties’ presidential nominations. When an attendee at St. Anselm asked Manchin who he’d vote for in a 2020 rematch, Manchin responded, “That’s a difficult question right there.”
“You have to make a decision, the character of that candidate, whether you agree or disagree, whether you support or haven’t supported, whether you’re in the same political party or not,” Manchin said. “The people that are just telling me I’m going to vote for the Democrat because I’m a Democrat. I’m going to vote Republican, no matter who it is. That’s bullcrap. Vote for the person. Vote for the best person that should be leading this country.”
One man asked him, “How would you feel if a bunch of Democrats in New Hampshire wrote in ‘Joe’ — not Biden, but wrote in ‘Joe Manchin’?”
“I cannot prevent whatever you want to do,” Manchin replied, receiving a round of applause from the donor-filled crowd.
He provided scant detail to reporters about the next stops on his listening tour, saying, “I have to talk to my daughter, I have still a job to do, and she tells me when I can go wherever my schedule allows.”
He seemed to distance himself from No Labels, the bipartisan group that’s working to get a potential third-party candidate on the ballot in November, while promoting his daughter’s venture.
“I still believe that the cause is worthy of trying to find that middle and give you a venue. Americans Together has basically stepped forward. We’re completely different and not connected in any way, shape, or form” Manchin said, adding, “If it has an impact or not, I don’t know. We’re gonna find out. But it’s not the short game.”
“I think it’s admirable what they’re trying to do to provide an option,” Manchin continued when speaking with reporters after his remarks. He opined that No Labels — or any other group — would have to launch its campaign with a candidate attached by Super Tuesday, March 5.
Manchin’s listening tour wasn’t without drama.
At his second stop, a diner in Derry, Manchin was greeted by a handful of New Hampshire voters, as well as a group of college students from Minnesota who are living in New Hampshire through the state’s primary on Jan. 23.
As he began speaking to the small crowd in a back room, he was blitzed by activists from the group Climate Defiance, who protested at both Manchin events today.
Police intervened after dozens of protesters rushed the event space chanting “Off fossil fuels, Manchin, off fossil fuels!” After a few minutes, they were escorted out of the room.
Manchin, who grew up in a coal-mining town in West Virginia, has fought for continued oil pipeline and energy development in the U.S.
Manchin and his daughter announced the formation of Americans Together in August, and they conceived of it as a centrist political group that would work on curbing federal spending, boosting domestic energy production, tightening border security and fighting crime.
Manchin Bresch, the first woman to run a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company, stepped down as CEO of Mylan, the maker of EpiPen, in 2020. She told the Wall Street Journal in August that Americans Together would be a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, which means that it is not required to disclose its donors.
Hunter Woodall and Ed O’Keefe contributed reporting.
An Alton man is dead after a snowmobile crash in New Hampshire’s North Country Thursday afternoon.
The New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game says 63-year-old Bradford Jones was attempting to negotiate a left hand turn on Corridor Trail 5 in Colebrook when he lost control of his snowmobile, struck multiple trees off the side of the trail and was thrown from the vehicle shortly before 3:30 p.m.
Jones was riding with another snowmobiler, who was in the lead at the time of the crash, according to the agency. Once the other man realized Jones was no longer behind him, he turned around and traveled back where he found Jones significantly injured, lying off the trail beside his damaged snowmobile.
The man immediately rendered aid to Jones and called 911 for assistance, NH Fish and Game said. The Colebrook Fire Department used their rescue tracked all terrain vehicle and a specialized off road machine to transport first responders across about a mile of trail to the crash scene.
Once there, a conservation officer and 45th Parallel EMS staff attempted lifesaving measures for approximately an hour, but Jones ultimately died from his injuries at the scene of the crash, officials said.
The crash remains under investigation, but conservation officers are considering speed for the existing trail conditions to have been a primary factor in this deadly incident.
Recently, I met with a husband who had been caring for his wife since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Her needs were escalating quickly — appointments, medications, meals, personal care — and he was determined to keep her at home. But the cost to his own wellbeing was undeniable. He was sleep‑deprived, depressed, and beginning to experience cognitive decline himself.
As director of the Referral Education Assistance & Prevention (REAP) program at Seacoast Mental Health Center, which supports older adults and caregivers across New Hampshire in partnership with the CMHC’s across the state, I hear stories like his every week. And his experience is far from unique.
Across the country, 24% of adults are family caregivers. Here in New Hampshire, 281,000 adults provide this essential care, often with little preparation or support. Only 11% receive any formal training to manage personal care tasks — yet they are the backbone of our long‑term care system, helping aging parents, spouses, and loved ones remain safely at home. (AARP, 2025)
REAP provides short‑term counseling, education, and support for older adults, caregivers, and the professionals who support them. We address concerns around mental health, substance use and cognitive functioning. After 21 years working with caregivers, I have seen how inadequate support directly harms families. Caregiving takes a serious toll — emotionally, physically, socially and financially. Many experience depression, chronic stress, and increased risk of alcohol or medication misuse.
In REAP’s own data from 2024:
- 50% of caregivers reported moderate to severe depression
- 29% reported suicidal ideation in the past two weeks
- 25% screened positive for at‑risk drinking
Their responsibilities go far beyond tasks like medication management and meal preparation. They interpret moods, manage behavioral changes, ease emotional triggers, and create meaningful engagement for the person they love. Their world revolves around the care recipient — often leading to isolation, loss of identity, guilt, and ongoing grief.
The statistics reflect what I see every week. Nearly one in four caregivers feels socially isolated. Forty‑three percent experience moderate to high emotional stress. And 31% receive no outside help at all.
Compare that to healthcare workers, who work in teams, receive breaks, have coworkers who step in when overwhelmed, and are trained and compensated for their work. Even with these supports, burnout is common. Caregivers receive none of these protections yet are expected to shoulder the same level of responsibility — alone, unpaid, and unrecognized.
Senate Bill 608 in New Hampshire would finally begin to fill these gaps. The bill provides access to counseling, peer support, training, and caregiver assessment for family caregivers of individuals enrolled in two Medicaid waiver programs: Acquired Brain Disorder (ABD) and Choices for Independence (CFI). These services would address the very needs I see daily.
Professional counseling helps caregivers process the complex emotions of watching a loved one decline or manage the stress that comes with it. Peer support connects them with others navigating similar challenges. Caregiver assessment identifies individual needs before families reach crisis.
When caregivers receive the right support, everyone benefits. The care recipient receives safer, more compassionate care. The caregiver’s health stabilizes instead of deteriorating from chronic stress and neglect. And costly options, which many older adults want to avoid, are delayed or prevented.
There is a direct and measurable link between caregiver training and caregiver wellbeing. The spouse I mentioned earlier is proof. Through REAP, he received education about his wife’s diagnosis, guidance on communication and behavior, and strategies to manage his own stress. Within weeks, his depression decreased from moderate to mild without medication. He was sleeping through the night and thinking more clearly. His frustration with his wife dropped significantly because he finally understood what she was experiencing and how to respond compassionately.
The real question before lawmakers is not whether we can afford SB 608. It is whether we can afford to continue ignoring the needs of those who hold our care system together. In 1970, we had 31 caregivers for every one person needing care. By 2010, that ratio dropped to 7:1. By 2030, it is projected to be 4:1. Our caregiver supply is shrinking while needs continue to grow. Without meaningful support, our systems — healthcare, long‑term care, and community supports — cannot function. (AARP, 2013)
Caregivers don’t ask for much. They want to keep their loved ones safe, comfortable, and at home. They want to stay healthy enough to continue providing care. SB 608 gives them the tools to do exactly that.
I urge New Hampshire lawmakers to support SB 608 and stand with the 281,000 residents who are quietly holding our care system together. We cannot keep waiting until caregivers collapse to offer help. We must provide the support they need now — before the burden becomes too heavy to bear.
Anne Marie Sirrine, LICSW, CDP is a staff therapist and the director of the REAP (Referral Education Assistance & Prevention) program at Seacoast Mental Health Center.
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