Op-Ed: Why should NH be first? It works.
New Hampshire isn’t perfect, and our primary won’t fix what’s broken in American politics by itself. But the qualities this state demands of its candidates — patience, humility, the willingness to stand in a room full of people who disagree with you — aren’t quaint traditions. They’re exactly what’s missing from national politics right now, and why New Hampshire should retain its first-in-the-nation primary.
Carleigh’s Interview with NextGen’s Executive Director Sumit Sharma
How often do you realize you can’t pay for parking, get into a movie, or do some basic task without your phone? We’ve gotten to the point where it feels like our lives are beholden and secondary to the priorities and profits of these corporations, and we never had a say in it. I want to see much stronger privacy protections for minors, including limits on data collection, and real investments in our schools and families so that they can thrive. Kids’ health should always be prioritized over profits. And I want to enforce anti-monopoly laws against these companies. They have amassed so much political and cultural power by virtue of their sheer size, which helps shield them from accountability for the harm their platforms cause.
It’s Town Meeting Day!
I am hoping that our town will come together today to affirm that our community does not want to collaborate with the Trump Administration in its unlawful and immoral immigration crackdown here in Hampton.
Dancing for Democracy
Amid a conversation about how to bring more joy into our organizing, our volunteer Mike, a professional dance instructor, suggested Dancing for Democracy. Using his skills, he and his partner Nastasya taught a bachata lesson that brought people together at a time when connection feels urgent. I’m grateful to both of them for sharing their talents so generously.
There are heroes in this district!
People have gotten used to seeing me not just in front of the room, but in the back rows and on the picnic benches- listening, learning, and connecting with the people that many politicians walk right past without even saying hello.
Many of these same people are now leading the charge--showing up for their neighbors in the street when Trump’s goon squads descend upon their city, testifying passionately at their county commissioners meeting to stop ICE from turning the county jail into a detention center, and lugging clothes by the bagful to keep foster kids warm through the winter.
There’s nothing partisan about due process.
President Trump’s immigration policies are dangerous. 32 people died in ICE custody in 2025, and on Wednesday, an ICE agent shot a woman to death in Minneapolis. These policies and actions undermine our democracy, and they do nothing to fix our immigration system. That’s why I voted Monday to recommend a warrant article advising the Hampton Police Department against entering an immigration enforcement agreement with ICE.
Supporting Term Limits
Term limits alone won’t address the corruption crisis plaguing American politics. We also need to restore campaign finance laws that limit the pernicious impact of big money on our political system and close the revolving door that allows former legislators to make millions lobbying their former colleagues.