New Hampshire
NH’s Ayotte vs. Craig is closest governor’s race in US.: Experts explain why it matters
DURHAM — The New Hampshire governor’s race is now the most competitive gubernatorial contest in the country, experts say, and this may be an asset to both Republican Kelly Ayotte and Democrat Joyce Craig.
Earlier this year, North Carolina and New Hampshire were seen as the top two competitive elections in the United States. But after a CNN report linked Republican North Carolina governor candidate Mark Robinson to multiple disturbing comments on a pornographic website, prompting most of his staff to resign, the formerly toss-up race has been moved to a likely Democratic victory, according to the Cook Political Report.
New Hampshire is now the only state gubernatorial race ranked a toss-up. According to recent polls from University of New Hampshire and Saint Anselm, the two candidates running for the office being vacated by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu are neck and neck.
The shake-up in the Tar Heel state may have opened up national funds that can help both Ayotte and Craig in New Hampshire. The Republican Governors Association current ad buy in North Carolina expired Tuesday, and multiple outlets reported the group has not planned any other placements.
“(Ayotte) will get help from the Republicans … because there really isn’t that much to invest in,” said UNH political science professor Dante Scala. “I mean, you look at North Carolina, maybe three, six months ago, that looked like a competitive race, but especially after last week, (it) sure doesn’t look that way anymore.”
The recent events may also free up more money from the Democratic Governors Association to help Craig in New Hampshire.
The first campaign finance filing deadline for the general election is Oct. 16.
Andrew Smith, the director of the UNH Survey Center, agreed the Republican Governors Association is likely not going to “want to bother” spending money on the North Carolina race anymore. However, Smith also wonders how independent the organization is from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
“I think the Trump people are going to want to take as much money as they can from any of the campaign organizations and use it on the presidential campaign,” he said.
Money is just part of the puzzle in this tight race: Each candidate has multiple strengths and weaknesses that will contribute to how they perform in November.
How the presidential election may affect the NH governor’s race
The “Trump factor”’ is a weakness for Ayotte in New Hampshire, where polls have shown the former president losing to Vice President Kamala Harris by as much as 11%.
To win, Ayotte will to convince voters to split their tickets and run ahead of Trump by about 5-7%, according to Scala, who said that is difficult for a non-incumbent. Even Sununu, who benefited from a name that runs deep in New Hampshire tradition, barely won during his first campaign for governor in 2016, running just enough ahead of Trump to win the open seat.
Ayotte’s rocky relationship with Trump may also play a negative role within her own party. The Republican Party in New Hampshire has many different factions, from Trump Republicans to free state libertarians to more mainstream traditional Republicans like Ayotte. There may be some voters who don’t like her because she isn’t close enough with Trump, while others may not want to vote for her to show their disdain for him.
However, a plus for Ayotte is Trump isn’t likely focus on New Hampshire as the presidential race no longer appears to be close in the state, meaning Ayotte can continue to keep her distance.
“Donald Trump is an anchor on all Republicans in the state. He’s not going to help them spread their message beyond that MAGA base, and could potentially hurt them if they get closely tied to Trump in the flow of the campaign,” Smith said. “So that split-ticket bogey is really going to be the key thing for her to be able to do to try to distinguish herself from Donald Trump without alienating those Republican Trump voters.”
While the Republican base is not as strongly in support of Ayotte as the Democratic base is for Craig currently, the polls revealed Ayotte appears to be more appealing to swing or independent voters, Scala said. That’s a positive sign for collecting the split ticket voters Ayotte needs. There’s also the possibility the full Republican base will coalesce around Ayotte as the election gets closer.
“If she’s going to pull it out, she’s going to have to really kind of channel her inner Sununu,” Smith said.
Conversely, Harris at the top of the ticket is a plus for Craig, whose positive polling numbers may be in part thanks to the vice president’s popularity in New Hampshire. The Democratic Party in New Hampshire has united around Harris, and by extension, Craig. Because of that, she might even be successful with a “generic Democratic campaign,” said Scala.
The NHDP has also tended to be better at getting voters out to the polls, Smith said. They have more money and organization than the Republican Party in New Hampshire, largely because of divides in the NHGOP like the Tea Party in the 2010s and Trump now.
How name recognition can be a boon – but other times a curse
One of Ayotte’s main strengths throughout this election has been her name ID. A former U.S. senator and New Hampshire attorney general, her strong name recognition was partially responsible for her dominant primary win over former state Senate President Chuck Morse. The experience of running those two statewide campaigns is also a strength for her in this election.
But her strong name ID may also be contributing to her negative favorability ratings: -5% according to the Saint Anselm poll and -17% according to UNH.
Craig, a former Manchester mayor, on the other hand, is less well known. But this can also be a strength as she hasn’t been caught up in as many “cross-party wars” as Ayotte, said Smith. Her favorability numbers are also positive — although Smith thinks that might change as the race gets closer and negative advertising ramps up.
The battle lines: Abortion and the city of Manchester
Craig’s biggest weakness, “fair or unfair,” Smith said, is the way Manchester is perceived to have been governed under her.
“You can see this has already been played out back in November last year,” said Smith, referring to last year’s mayoral race, when Republican Jay Ruais won over Craig’s endorsed successor. “That’s a harder problem for her to overcome, because that’s a policy issue. It’s not a personal issue.”
During the primary, Craig faced attacks about Manchester’s homelessness and drug issues from both sides of the aisle.
Craig will also have to address questions on taxes, crime, and immigration, all tried and true attacks Republicans use against Democrats.
Ayotte’s weakest issue is abortion, a consistent topic used by Democrats across the country. Both sides have put in a lot of effort trying to inform voters about how the governor’s race would affect abortion policy in New Hampshire: Ayotte even put out an ad saying she would not change New Hampshire’s current 24-week abortion law.
“It is something on which her voting history is to the right of what I would say is your average New Hampshire voter,” Scala said. As a senator, Ayotte supported a 20-week abortion ban as well as the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
More: Craig would give NH education chief Frank Edelblut the boot. Ayotte backs his policies.
The question for Scala, though, is if Democrats will open another line of attack against Ayotte.
“Abortion is a problem for Ayotte, but Democrats have already spent a lot of money going after Ayotte on abortion,” Scala said. “How much more is there to get out of that issue? And I think that’s a fair question.”
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.
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.
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.”
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.
“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.
New Hampshire
Private Island Escape in New Hampshire That Can Be Accessed Only by Boat or Snowmobile Is Listed for Less Than $350K
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.
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
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.
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.
Josephine O’Leary Weir of Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty is the listing agent.
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.
Jani Summers of Engel & Volkers Western Frontier – Hamilton is the listing agent.
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.
Allison M Romaguera of WayMaker Realty is the listing agent.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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