O P I N I O N
It pains me to say it, but the Democratic Party is dead in New Hampshire.
This didn’t happen overnight. This was a slow death, caused by leadership that stopped listening a long time ago. And now, with Ray Buckley being re-elected as party chair yet again, it’s clear they’re not interested in changing course.
They ignored the ten county chairs who asked him to step down. They ignored the hundreds of rank-and-file Democrats who are fed up with losing statewide races under his leadership. They ignored me when I said Ray had to go. They ignored me when I said Joe Biden was too old for a second term. They ignored me when I warned them Joyce Craig couldn’t beat Kelly Ayotte.
The truth is: they don’t care. The Democratic Party isn’t the party of working people anymore. It’s a party run by folks making six figures, backing candidates just like them. It’s become a machine for corporate lawyers and pharmaceutical lobbyists, not for everyday Granite Staters.
So yeah, I’m done with the Democratic Party. But I’m not done with politics.
That’s why I’m launching something new: the New Hampshire Independent Coalition.
Right now, 40% of registered voters in this state refuse to identify with a political party. That’s not a fluke—that’s a message. People are sick of being forced to pick between two extremes.
On one side, you’ve got the national Democrats making empty promises and doing nothing to stop what they say is a threat to democracy. On the other hand, the New Hampshire GOP has been taken over by fake libertarians who want to tear the whole system down.
They’re violating our state constitution by handing out millions in public money to private religious schools. And the minute anyone tries to do something good for their community, they cry “communism!” Never mind that our own state constitution literally says we’re supposed to care for each other through mutual aid, public support, and building strong communities.
Meanwhile, the national Republicans bleat about fiscal conservatism, but their actions say otherwise. They keep handing out tax cuts to billionaires while we’re staring down a $37 trillion national debt. That’s not conservative, that’s reckless. If we don’t get serious about paying off that debt, we’re going to bankrupt this country and stick our kids with the bill.
So what are we left with? Two parties that have completely lost the plot. One calls itself progressive, but won’t listen to its own base. The other calls itself conservative, but doesn’t conserve anything; not the budget, not democracy, not basic decency.
There’s a better way.
The Independent Coalition isn’t about left or right, it’s about making life better for regular people. It’s about sanity, honesty, and common sense. George Washington warned us in his farewell address that political parties would divide and destroy this country. He was right. And we’ve waited long enough to do something about it.
I don’t want to live in a country with just two parties. I don’t even want to live in one with just three. I want a political system where hundreds of parties can work in coalition to actually represent the people.
The Independent Coalition will be a home for those of us who believe in investing in our communities, in taking care of our neighbors, and in protecting freedom and prosperity for future generations.
I’m running for governor in 2026 under this new banner, and I’m asking you to join me—not just to run a campaign, but to finally put an end to this broken system.
It’s time to kill the two-party system. It’s time to take our democracy back. If you’d like to join this movement, reach out at VoteKiper.org.
Jon Kiper is a lifelong New Hampshire resident, community activist, and former Town Councilor. He is currently running for New Hampshire Governor as an independent. He is also the owner and operator of Jonny Boston’s International, a Newmarket eatery. While on the Newmarket Town Council, he successfully pushed the planning board to legalize tiny houses, implemented an ordinance to allow restaurants to serve alcohol in sidewalk seating areas, and spearheaded a successful initiative for food composting at the town transfer station. He is a co-founder of the Newmarket Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, and he has been instrumental in forming the Wentworth Cheswell Monument Committee, which is fundraising to build a statue of the first African American elected to public office in the United States. He currently serves on the board of Newmarket Main Street Corporation, which works to preserve and honor the history of the town of Newmarket. He lives in Newmarket with his 9-year-old son, Oliver, his partner, Emily, and their cats, Duck and Pizza Cat.