MANCHESTER, N.H. – On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and1 U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) traded jokes about the ages of mountains and anecdotes about chicken tenders as the pair talked to voters at the Puritan Back Room and Stark Brewery, adding to other stops in Nashua and Bedford.
One of the voters Hasssan and Tester talked to at the Puritan was Manchester resident Pam Dubey.
Dubey is watching for the other candidates will say before making a decision, but says she will vote for Hassan and appreciates the fact that she was talking to people at the Puritan.
“The Puritan is Manchester, this is where everybody goes, and (Hassan) is loved because of what she does, everything she does,” said Dubey.
Hassan serves with Tester on the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and touted the work she did with Tester and other senators on both sides of the aisle on the PACT Act, as well as other pieces of legislation such as the CHIPS Act.
“Common sense, good judgement, and she’s not a partisan, she works for people across the aisle to find the best solution for the United States and New Hampshire” said Tester of Hassan. “She’s a gem.”
In contrast, Hassan told reporters that her opponent, Republican Don Bolduc, would have opposed legislation that has lowered healthcare costs and invested in American infrastructure while instituting a national abortion ban, something Bolduc has said he would leave to state legislatures since winning the Republican nomination in September.
Hassan also told reporters that she is willing to stand up to President Biden when needed, as she has on the Afghan War withdrawal and Biden’s nominee to lead the FDA.
“At the end of the day, this is about standing up for the United States and that’s what this race is about. I will always listen to Granite Staters and deliver on things that matter to them,” she said.
Hassan also shrugged off recent polls showing Bolduc gaining momentum.
“I’ve always thought this was going to be a really close race. Remember, in 2016, I won my seat by 1,017 votes. This is a very purple state and people are assessing each candidate,” she said. “But I also think it’s really clear that Don Bolduc keeps trying to mislead people about his record.”