MANCHESTER, N.H. —
The fight for the corner office at the New Hampshire State House shifted Monday to labor, workforce and the economy.
Former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig is touting her union support, but former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte is making her own pitch to some of those voters.
Flanked by union officials representing teachers, Manchester firefighters, carpenters, and electricians, Craig said that as governor, she would do what Ayotte will not: reverse the repeal of the interest and dividends tax.
“Right now, we have Republicans like Kelly Ayotte who are fine with giving tax breaks to the most rich in our state, like herself, and now, the tax burden is going on our hardworking families,” Craig said.
Craig said she would oppose a broad-based sales or income tax as governor, but she is counting on recreational marijuana to help fund her agenda.
“I have said that I am supportive of legalization of cannabis,” she said. “We’ll work with legislation to do that. That will be generating revenues we can be utilizing within the state of New Hampshire to do better when it comes to affordable housing and education.”
Ayotte opposes cannabis legalization and is skeptical of its ability to deliver tax revenue.
“Joyce Craig can smoke her way to a balanced budget, but I’m going to do it the old-fashioned way,” Ayotte said. “We’re going to live within our means.”
Ayotte is shrugging off Craig’s criticism on the interest and dividends tax.
“I want to welcome Joyce back to New Hampshire from California, but the first thing she did when she got back was to announce a $160 million tax increase on people in New Hampshire,” Ayotte said. “It hits retirees. It hits people saving for retirement. I don’t know why she would propose a tax increase.”
Craig will likely marshal the most union support in the race, but Ayotte has been campaigning hard on a core issue for public sector unions: bringing back state contributions to so-called Group 2 retirement benefits for first responders. Both candidates said they’ll deliver, as governor, for police and firefighters.
H/T: WMUR
