Video: Hampton Coffee with Carleigh
I’ve put almost 20,000 miles on my car this campaign, and every conversation, from Plaistow to Gilmanton to Conway has taught me something important about the experiences, needs, hopes, and aspirations of the people in this district. On Sunday, I was lucky to host my first official event right here in my hometown: Hampton.
We were very fortunate to kick off our gathering with delicious coffee and treats from Blue Harbor Cafe, a local business that has become a community gathering space in downtown Hampton. Then, we gathered in the main room of the Hampton Democratic Committee office and listen to a poem by my dear friend and supporter, The Famous Joanne.
Looking around the room and seeing the faces of the people who have sustained this campaign from the very beginning helped me appreciate just how far we’ve come, not only as a campaign, but as a community: 500+ volunteers, almost a half-million dollars raised, endorsements from leaders across the district, and thousands of conversations and connections that build community and strengthen our democracy.
In the room on Sunday we heard stories about healthcare denied, senior citizens forced to bag groceries long past the time they deserved to settle into a well-earned retirement. We heard about the seething anger people feel about the ways in which Washington has failed working people, and we heard about the hope we see in building coalitions around people’s shared skepticism about corporate monopolies and the threats posed by artificial intelligence.
We also heard hope that if we could just send some different kinds of people to Washington. Regular people with lived experience and a willingness to challenge the status quo: this just might be the moment we need to change our political system for the better.
Sunday also filled me with an immense sense of gratitude and humility because the people in the room on Sunday have contributed their time, their money, their stories, and most importantly, their hope to this campaign. I don’t take that trust lightly.
As we enter the final four months of this primary and turn our eyes to November, I know how important it is to keep places like Hampton in my mind. Our purple community is consistently the bellwether town in New Hampshire’s first district. Candidates who win in Hampton need to do more than just preach to the choir. They need to show up. They need to listen. They need to cut through the political noise and deliver results for the people who need it most.
That’s what I’ve strived to do as Chair of the Select Board in Hampton, and that’s what I promise to do in Congress.
