Op-Ed: ‘Next Speaker must understand both the opportunity and the responsibility that comes with this moment’

By House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson

On Tuesday, Granite Staters did more than elect a new Democratic majority, they sent a message about the kind of future they want for this state. From our largest cities to our smallest rural communities, voters turned out in historic numbers to demand something different: a New Hampshire where working families can afford to live, where opportunity is within reach, and where state government is focused on making people’s lives better. The results were historic. House Democrats won seats across the political and geographic spectrum, earning the trust of communities who have not always voted Democratic. 

But let’s be clear, this majority election did not happen overnight, and it did not happen by accident. 

Six years ago, when our caucus found ourselves in the minority, I joined the team of new Democrats that began starting over and building from the ground-up and we haven’t stopped since. I was elected minority leader this past term because our caucus and the entire state wanted a clear alternative to the direction Republicans were leading our state in. I believed then, as I do now, that our responsibility was about more than opposing the Republican majority, it was about building a vision for New Hampshire and preparing to deliver on it.

We spent years recruiting candidates with deep roots in their communities, people who understood the places they hoped to represent because they had spent their lives working, raising families, volunteering, and building relationships there. We identified key communities early, investing in candidates who could connect with their neighbors, and built a campaign operation grounded in the belief that earning people’s trust requires showing up long before Election Day. 

Our candidates showed up, they knocked on doors, sat at kitchen tables, attended community events, made phone calls, and had thousands of conversations with voters. They listened. And they made the case that the state government can do better. They did the hard, often unglamourous work of listening to people’s concerns and making the case that our state government can do better. 

Across the state, people became genuinely energized, engaged, and excited to participate in our democracy. Perhaps most remarkable was that people who had every reason to feel discouraged, people navigating extraordinary personal and economic challenges, still showed up to vote because they understand that the direction of our state is a collective responsibility. 

Now, our new caucus of 290+ House Democrats faces an equally important responsibility in choosing the House leadership that will guide us into this next chapter for New Hampshire. 

Granite Staters are tired of the chaos, the corruption, and the rising cost of simply making a life here in New Hampshire. They are tired of watching the Republican legislative majority prioritize political fights and tax cuts for large corporations while the housing crisis deepened, property taxes climbed, and the cost of health care and childcare squeezed family budgets, and everyday challenges facing their families and communities go unaddressed. They want leadership that is organized, thoughtful, accountable, and grounded in integrity. They want a leader that recognizes the urgency of the housing crisis, the pressure of rising property taxes, the cost of healthcare and childcare, the seriousness of protecting our fundamental freedoms, and the magnitude of uncertainty facing the next generation.  

The kind of leadership our Speaker’s Office demands is measured by record, not a promise. Mine has never wavered. On healthcare, on childcare, on housing, and on protecting our fundamental freedoms, I have stood in the same place in the minority that I will stand in the majority. Our caucus, and the voters who elected us, deserve a Speaker whose convictions they can trust. 

I believe that the next Speaker must understand both the opportunity and the responsibility that comes with this moment and whose record demonstrates the experience, commitment, and leadership necessary to meet it. 

Over the last four years in Democratic leadership, I have worked with my leadership team and caucus to prepare for this exact opportunity. We have spent years building the relationships, developing the policy priorities, and strengthening the legislative capacity necessary to govern when given the opportunity we now have. 

We are ready to govern. We are prepared to boldly tackle New Hampshire’s housing crisis, protect and expand access to Medicaid and affordable healthcare, make childcare more accessible, push back against federal unconstitutional overreach, advance responsible marijuana legalization, reverse Republican attacks on our fundamental freedoms, and send a state budget to Gov. Ayotte’s desk that invests in our people and communities and begins to take the immense burden off of the hardworking, everyday average property taxpayer. 

I understand what it takes to hold our caucus together around shared values, develop a coordinated strategy, and remain focused even when the political circumstances are difficult. Bold leadership means having the courage to advance an ambitious agenda, the discipline to govern responsibly, and the experience to bring people together to deliver meaningful results for the people we represent.  

An election victory is not a blank check, it is a call to action. Granite Staters showed up because they believe in the possibility of something better, even when the pressures of everyday life have given them plenty of reasons to be discouraged. They invested their time, their voice, and their hope in the belief that we can build a state that works for everyone. We owe them results and if given the trust of my caucus and the full House to serve as Speaker, I will make sure we deliver them.

Rep. Alexis Simpson
NH House Democratic Leader

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