VIDEO: NHDP Midterm Convention Report
Democrats from around NH gathered at Dover High School today to officially kick off the 2026 midterm elections! It was a chance for people to come together, connect around a shared vision for the future, and prepare ourselves for the hard work ahead. It was a lso a chance for all the candidates running for Congress in NH-01 to make their case to the community organizers, Democratic activists, elected officials, and party leaders who spend their Saturday in a high school auditorium talking about democracy and the future of our state and country.
For me, the day started early. I woke up still unsure of exactly what I wanted to say, and so I spent a couple hours thinking about what people throughout history have done when they faced impossible circumstances, and I thought about what millions of people are doing right now. This is a season for commencement, which often feel like endings, but are also new beginnings. It is also a season of action and new life. Bookended by holidays like International Workersʼ Day and Memorial Day.
With a sense of what I wanted to say, I wrote the rest of my speech, and Eric and I hopped in the car and drove to Dover where the day had started much earlier for my incredible group of dedicated volunteers who had arrived early to set up and give the 600 convention delegates a warm Carleigh Beriont for Congress welcome.
To my volunteers: Ranan, Suki, Kim, Evan, Carly, Gabe, Chuck, JJ, Alexandra, Ian, June, Don, Corinne, Tom, Lois, Ingrid, Ginger, Helen, Joe, Joanne, Brenda, Ashley, Jess, Shelly, Sierran, Scott, Zoe, Jeff, Dave, Alan, and anyone whose name I left out of this list but showed up to hold signs, meet with new supporters, and cheer me on in the convention hall: thank you. You are truly the most amazing and inspirational people, and I love you. Thank you.
For Eric, the day began baking bread. A quadruple batch in our giant thrift store ceramic mixing bowl. We figured weʼd need enough for our thirty volunteers as well as the hundreds of candidates, organizers, and activists who were going to need sustenance to make it through a long day of networking and politicking.
So, I threw a “More of the Same Wonʼt Fix This” tote over my shoulder and Eric grabbed the cardboard “bread box” that the kids decorated with campaign stickers and original art, and we made our way from the parking lot to the entrance to the high school where the NH Democratic Party had gathered to host their convention.
Being greeted by a crowd waving my signs and cheering for me was pretty surreal and special. It also felt like a culmination of months of teamwork building a grassroots network of volunteers one conversation at a time. Seeing the table, lovingly assembled and decorated with all of our signs, literature, buttons, and stickers (not to mention a lovely flower arrangement and snacks) reminded me of how important it is to give time and attention for the little gestures of kindness and care that often feel like they are missing from our politics.
Chatting with JJ and Alexandra before my speech.
And after a flurry of conversations and connections with friends old and new, it was time to prepare for my speech. I chose as my theme a song that is very close to my heart: “Bread and Roses” was the anthem of women textile workers who went on strike in the 1830s. They sang as they marched out of the factories, demanding not only higher wages, but a share in the parts of life that make it worth living: art, recreation, time, family.
The song was especially significant to me because I sang it with my classmates sixteen years ago when I graduated from Mount Holyoke College, and I was honored to be able to share a little bit of this history with the people assembled in the high school auditorium this afternoon.
I hope youʼll watch my speech and share your thoughts with me. Iʼd be honored and grateful if you would join me on the campaign trail!
Putting the finishing touches on my speech at our convention table.
