New Hampshire, while having voted Democrat for US president since 2004, is a notoriously swing state. Republicans typically win at the state level, and at the federal level, Congressional representation tends to flip back and forth. In 2006, both of New Hampshire’s Congressional seats flipped Democrat after years of being Republican. Then four years later, they flipped back. Then two years later, they flipped Democrat again. Then two years later, the 1st District flipped Republican, and then back to Democrat in 2016.

Because the current Congressman, Chris Pappas, is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Jeanne Shaheen, the 1st District is now open. With the political winds at the backs of Democrats this year, helped by the fact that the seat has stayed blue since 2016, the opportunity to elect a progressive representative is not only possible, but probable. Heath Howard (he/him/his), a Gen-Z state representative, has tossed his hat into the ring. He gained fame and notoriety in November when he heckled Shaheen at an state Democratic event, calling her out for voting to end the government shutdown, which led to a lapse in Affordable Health Care tax credits. Heath, the current Vice Chair of the House Progressive Caucus in the New Hampshire legislature, is passionate about healthcare, and has based his campaign on Medicare for All, a minimum wage of $25, tuition-free education, and more affordable housing.

Where are you based?
I’m a 7th-generation Granite Stater from Strafford, NH. Strafford is large in size but has a small-town feel. We don’t have any stoplights, and there are only two restaurants in town. That being said, we are always there for our neighbors, and everyone pretty much knows everyone. I’ve lived in NH my whole life; I went to public schools and attended the University of New Hampshire while serving as a State Rep.

What is your position and what position are you running for?
I am currently serving as a State Representative for the towns of Strafford and Barrington. I’m one of the youngest state legislators in the country, and I represent one of the most competitive districts in the state. In 2022, I won my seat by just seven votes, and in 2024, I won by 16 votes. I unseated an incumbent Republican State Rep in 2022 who is also the President of New Hampshire Right to Life.

I am running to represent New Hampshire's First Congressional District. Senator Jeanne Shaheen is retiring this year, so the current NH-01 Representative, Chris Pappas, is running to fill her seat. This is one of the few open Democratic primaries in the country.

How would you briefly summarize your platform?
I am running on an economic bill of rights because, at the end of the day, affordability is the number one issue for voters. I firmly believe that the Democratic Party needs to shift its messaging to focus more on affordability issues, because voters already know where Democrats stand on social issues. Republicans are falsely perceived as being better on the economy than Democrats, and we need to fight back on this. We already have a bill of rights that gives us freedom from the government, and now we need a bill of rights that gives us freedom from corporations. The four main points of my economic bill of rights are 1) Universal healthcare, 2) Affordable Housing, 3) Education for All, and 4) A living wage. I have a record of voting with Planned Parenthood 100% of the time in the NH House, and I support social and environmental justice for marginalized communities. I also believe that we need campaign finance reform to ensure that corporations aren’t buying the votes of our elected officials, which is why I am rejecting all corporate PAC money.

What inspired you to run?
At 15, I broke my back in a skiing accident that nearly left me paralyzed. This experience exposed me to the harsh realities of our broken healthcare system and sparked my passion for advocacy. Since then, I have undergone two major surgeries and continue to live with chronic back pain. These challenges have shaped my perspective and made me a strong voice for the disability community in the NH House. With disability representation still lacking in government and with Republicans in Washington repeatedly targeting critical programs, I believe we need leaders who will stand up for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and ensure no one is denied the care they need.

What change are you hoping to bring to your district and country?
I am incredibly frustrated with the lack of leadership coming out of the Democratic Party in DC right now. The establishment leaders in Congress are letting Trump destroy our Democracy without accountability or resistance. This stems from the fact that they are being bought by corporate PACs and super PACs like AIPAC. We need leaders who will represent their constituents, not their donors, and we need leaders who will actually fight back. I’ve shown my ability to work across the aisle and get things done under a Republican trifecta as a NH State Representative. I think we are all tired of the excuse “we don’t have the votes to do anything.” I also “don’t have the votes” because I am in the minority in the NH House, but I still talk to people on the other side of the aisle and get them to vote with me. I will work with anyone regardless of the party they belong to, and I think we need people in Congress right now who are going to have a spine and put in the effort to fight for the working class. The two-party system is meant to divide us, and I want to be a mechanic for our broken Congress by showing people that just because another politician and I disagree on abortion access doesn’t mean we can’t work together to stop writing blank checks for endless wars.

How long have you been in office? What do you consider to be your major accomplishments so far?
I ran for State Rep in 2020, but lost. I learned a lot about what does and doesn’t work, so I ran again in 2022 and was able to win despite the district as a whole voting for Republican Governor Chris Sununu over the Democratic challenger. I won again in 2024, but statistically speaking, I should have lost. Democrats lost 40 seats in the NH House because of the red wave, and I was able to hang on to my seat despite being an open progressive running in a red district. There were incumbent representatives in safer districts who lost re-election because of the red wave; it was only because I worked so hard and knocked thousands of doors that I was able to win my re-election.

I am most proud of being able to get a lot of work done, even though the Republicans have controlled every branch of our state government while I’ve been in office. In 2024, I was the second most active Democratic legislator in the NH House. I’ve had nine of my bills signed by the governor and 28 of my bills passed our chamber. My biggest accomplishments are expanding our therapeutic cannabis program, allowing for the construction of homes in commercial zones to address the housing crisis, and passing multiple laws to help our disability community.

What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
Housing is the number one issue in New Hampshire. While we are building more homes than ever before, homelessness is at an all-time high in the state. We need to have a conversation about who is buying homes to actually understand why this is happening. Private equity firms are outbidding families by offering sellers $50k over the asking price. As a result, the entire housing market is artificially inflated, and single families are boxed out of homeownership. Another huge problem we have in New Hampshire is that companies like Airbnb are artificially shrinking the housing market because property owners are renting out their properties to short-term renters rather than long-term renters. We need the government to incentivize property owners in areas with housing shortages to rent out their properties in the long-term so we can ensure that everyone has a place to live.

We also need to tax corporations and the ultra-wealthy to alleviate burdens facing the working class. I’m not talking about taxing people who make $500k per year; I’m talking about taxing people who have more money than they could ever possibly need. This money can be put towards universal healthcare, tuition-free public college and trade schools, public transit, and renewable energy infrastructure.

America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
As a State Representative, I represent an incredibly purple town. I have Republicans, Independents, and Libertarians come to the polls and fill in the bubble next to my name, even if they are voting straight ticket Republican. I have bipartisan support because the community knows that I am not beholden to party leadership. I have always put the needs of my constituents first. I had a constituent who is a forest ranger show up at my office hours with an idea to create a chain of custody on timber. He explained that timber theft is an issue in the state and that simply creating a chain of custody would save his employees time. This is an issue I didn’t even know existed, but I worked with him to draft the legislation and submit the bill. This is how I am seen in my community — as someone who listens and puts in the effort to help ordinary people.

I’ve also worked across the aisle in the NH House with Republicans and Libertarians on anti-war measures like Defend the Guard. A lot of my Republican colleagues prefer me over my establishment opponents because they know I think for myself and align with them on some liberty issues like cannabis legalization, even though I am a progressive.

How do you see your unique identity and background to be an asset to you in office?
I am a normal, working-class person, and I believe normal people should represent normal people. I grew up in a working-class family right here in NH; I’m not the daughter of a Senator or a corporate executive who recently moved to this state to run for office. I have been out in the community for the past decade as a community organizer and a State Representative, listening to voters and doing the hard work. People who know me know me as the guy who shows up to every protest and every community event. I know the failures of our healthcare system because I have lived them; after my back injury in 2016, my family struggled to make ends meet when the hospital bills piled up.

In addition, I have a voting record; voters know where I stand on the issues. Other candidates in this race have no legislative experience or voting record, and there is the risk that they will lie about their policies to get elected. With me, voters know what they are getting. I really would hate to see another Fetterman situation happen at a time like this.

What is your motto in life?
I really don’t see politics as “my life plan” but more as a means to an end. All I want is to create a world where people are safe, healthy, and happy. I don’t need money or materialistic things to be satisfied. Creating a just world is the end goal.

Where can we find out more about you?
Visit heathhowardnh.com to learn about the campaign and follow me on social media @heathhowardnh on all platforms. You can also sign up for my mailing list (I promise we don't send millions of emails as other candidates do!). The biggest support we need right now is financial; we have the grassroots support, the endorsements, and good polling numbers; we are just missing the fundraising piece. I’m up against wealthy opponents who campaign full-time and literally spend all week making fundraising calls. I know I am going to be outspent, but we just need some fuel in the tank to keep the momentum going.

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Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2026 - Heath Howard, New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District