O P I N I O N

THE SOAPBOX

Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.

If you tuned into Kelly Ayotte’s State of the State address and thought that it felt more like a campaign reelection speech than a realistic portrayal of how New Hampshire is doing, then you’re not alone.  

Throughout her 45-minute attempt at a victory lap, the Governor rattled off a laundry list of “accomplishments” and cherry-picked accolades from her time on the job. But at no point in her remarks did Ayotte display a genuine understanding of the dire financial straits that Granite Staters are facing under Republican leadership. And for all her talk about prioritizing affordability, she has a track record that says the exact opposite.  

In her speech, the Governor talked about the “momentum” in housing production, but completely ignored the fact that housing prices have reached a record high under her tenure, and how she slashed funding for affordable housing initiatives like the Housing Champion Program. In 2024, Somersworth was designated a leader for this program thanks to our extensive work tackling the housing crisis. Since then we’ve been able to streamline development, partner with our regional planning commission to update our zoning, and approve hundreds of housing units. This makes it all the more frustrating to watch both Ayotte and her GOP colleagues cut funding for affordable housing programs and debate the cancellation of the Housing Champions program. 

Kelly Ayotte also couldn’t help but boast about her expansion of “education freedom.” As a public school educator for over 10 years, I can tell you that there’s nothing to brag about here, because public schools are not a priority for this Governor. She is responsible for a bloated voucher scheme that is over budget by nearly $52 million in this school year alone, and is draining school district funds in order to subsidize the wealthiest of families. After recently removing income requirements for the voucher scheme, Governor Ayotte all but ensured that private school vouchers will continue to divert more-and-more taxpayer dollars from our public schools for the foreseeable future – forcing up property taxes, and widening the gap between wealthy and hard-working families. 

Also, in an 11th-hour push, Republicans are right now trying to force school districts against their will into a half-baked open enrollment plan. If successful, the uniquely American idea of a quality public education for all children might crumble before our very eyes. 

The most jarring claim to hear in the governor’s State of the State was that she has delivered on her promise to protect the “most vulnerable citizens who depend on the State to meet their needs” Last year, Kelly Ayotte slapped Granite Staters with new expensive Medicaid premiums that have made basic health care coverage unaffordable. Also, when Donald Trump tried to withhold SNAP assistance for our most vulnerable neighbors, Ayotte couldn’t be bothered to challenge the President in court – unlike leaders from every other state in New England – leaving local leaders like myself to pick up the slack. I’m proud to say that Somersworth was able to provide thousands of additional dollars in emergency funds to local food banks, all while Governor Ayotte sat on her hands and did nothing

As far as I can tell, the State of the State is far from strong. In fact, thanks to Kelly Ayotte’s reckless budgeting, the state experienced a $67.3 million deficit in 2025. Yet she and her Republican friends in Concord keep ignoring major red flags about our state’s revenue, and are actively working to inflict more damage to our state’s budget in the form of tax cuts to big corporations. By cutting taxes for billionaire CEOs, the state will likely fill these holes in our budget through increased property taxes on working families, making it more and more expensive for Granite Staters to live here. Working families should not be paying the price for tax cuts for big corporations. 

So instead of parading around New Hampshire pretending she cares about working people, Ayotte should be making life better for them. When you can’t pay for rent or afford groceries, it’s not only offensive to hear your state’s chief executive claim that New Hampshire is number one for “economic freedom” — it’s flat-out wrong. 

There’s so much more that we can be doing to help New Hampshire realize its fullest potential and make sure that every Granite Stater has a chance at the American Dream. I promise to continue fighting for a better Somersworth where every family can afford to live, work, and raise their kids here — and Kelly Ayotte is welcome to join me.

Matt Gerding is the Mayor of Somersworth, NH. 

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