Campaigners were out under sunny skies on Tuesday, stumping for their candidates and talking to voters about issues including public education, the economy and housing.

Gubernatorial candidates Kelly Ayotte and Joyce Craig, for whom the primary have been called for by the Associated Press, both saw strong support out at the polls in the Monadnock region. Richard Feldman, a Rindge resident, said Ayotte had his vote.

“She’s a sensible voice. She hasn’t blindly followed any leader – she blazes her own path,” Feldman said.

Jed Brummer, who was campaigning for a state representative seat in the Democratic primary, said he was supporting Craig, saying her “experience, qualifications, and on-the-job training as mayor of Manchester” put her over the other Democratic candidates.

In one of the only local contested primaries, Brummer, Hannah Bissex and Tom Hsu were up for two seats for state representative for Cheshire District 18. All candidates said they would support whomever ultimately moved ahead to the general election.

Bissex, who ran against incumbent John Hunt two years ago, said that one of the main things she has heard while door-knocking is that people are tired of the divisiveness that has become a staple in politics, and that people are looking for someone with humility to approach problems with an attitude of listening and finding the best answers.

Hsu said that the main issue he has heard from residents is increasing property taxes, and state funding for public schools, both situations he said were not equitable systems for New Hampshire.

“We need reasonable people, that know how to negotiate in good faith across the aisle, and listen to everybody,” said Hsu. “I’ve been a cook, a nanny, a teacher, a store manager, a company president and an author. I started three companies. I can relate to all different parts of our community, whether they’re a carpenter or a stock broker.”

Top issues of the day

Education, and how it should be funded, was cited by multiple candidates and voters as one of their top issues, on both sides of the aisle, despite differing perspectives.

Several Democratic candidates pushed for the state to accept the recent ruling on a public school funding lawsuit, which included both ConVal and Mascenic, that determined that the state is not adequately funding public education.

Brummer, who was campaigning in Jaffrey on Tuesday, said that education funding was the biggest issue he was hearing from constituents about. In addition to adequate state funding, Brummer said he was not in favor of using public funds for charter or private schools, through the state’s voucher system.

Don Primrose, also campaigning for state representative in Jaffrey on Tuesday, took the opposite tack, saying that parents should have the right to choose where their children can go to school, though he said he was still a strong supporter of public education and agreed that the state was not adequately funding public education, He said the state has “sat on its hands” long enough on the issue and it was time to address it.

“Public education comes up on top, but beyond that, choice is important,” Primrose said. “I taught in the public school system, and I still think choice is important.”

Housing and the economy were also big issues for those at the polls on Tuesday. In Rindge, resident Duncan Stweart was campaigning for Republican candidates and said that finances was one his two top issues, with the other being immigration.

Peterborough voters turned out for several contested local races in Tuesday’s primary, including the state representative race between incumbents Peter Leishman and Jonah Wheeler and longtime Peterborough political activist Ivy Vann, who served as a representative to the New Hampshire House from 2014 to 2022. 

Kath Allen said Leishman and Wheeler make a great team.

“Peter has been in the office for 23 years and he is doing a great job training Jonah in,” Allen said. “Jonah has a had a great two years, he’s very knowledgeable and a great speaker.” 

Leishman said increased taxes was among the biggest concerns of his constituents.

“I get the most emails about high property taxes, and about funding public education. I have a lot of constituents on fixed incomes, and their property taxes keep going up,” Leishman said. 

Wheeler listed clean air, clean water and funding for education among his primary concerns. 

“We need to be able to work together to get things done. We need legislators who work for all of us,” Wheeler said.

Vann, speaking outside Peterborough’s polling place on Tuesday, said she hoped the election results would be in her favor. 

“I have long experience and an extensive body of knowledge and I hope the voters will support me,” Vann said. 

Carol Krauss and Beverly Spiro, representing Peterborough Democrats, wanted voters to think about “what it would be like if (former President Donald) Trump won again.”

“I don’t think people understand the degree to which Project 2025 would change life as we know, the destruction they are planning in this country, it if he gets elected again,” Spiro said. 

Melody Lawrence and Robin Hoey held signs for Executive Council candidate Mike Liberty.

“He’s just so passionate. He’s honest, and he’s very driven. He’s a brain cancer survivor – after he survived, he wanted to give back,” Lawrence said. 

Mark Wisan and Amy McGregor-Radin clutched signposts for Goodlander. Wisan explained that he met Goodlander at a house party and was very impressed with her. McGregor-Radin shared that she also encountered Goodlander at a house party, and that negative ads by her opponent, Colin Van Ostern, influenced her opinion as well.

In Antrim,  Michael Schamel of Hillsborough,  a candidate for Hillsborough District 30, said  helping the local economy and education are his top priorities.  

“People think Trump will save them, but he’s going to destroy the American work force,” Schamel said. “We need to help small, locally owned businesses. We need to lower property taxes – they are very hard on younger people, and on older people with fixed incomes. We need to fund and support public schools. Republicans are trying to destroy public schools.” 

Bipartisanship in Mason

What some might consider a political odd couple in 2024 emerged from the polls in Mason Tuesday afternoon - a Democrat and a Republican who were on warm terms.

Wes Fletcher opted for a Democratic ballot, filling in the ovals for Joyce Craig in the governor’s race and Maggie Goodlander for the 2nd District seat in Congress. With him was Republican Jack Flanagan, who voted form himself as he aimed for a fifth term in the New Hampshire House. He refrained from saying which GOP candidates he supported, adding that he had worked with both Ayotte and Chuck Morse in the past.

John Ohrenberger had no such concerns -- “Joyce Craig and Maggie Goodlander”, he offered.

Fletcher and Flanagan resumed a non-political discussion as they strolled away from Mason Elementary School.

First-time voter Brendan Burny voted Ayotte in the Republican primary for governor, saying “I feel good about voting for her.” Exiting the polls with Burny, Linda Grugnale echoed this sentiment, explaining that taxes are a big issue for her, and that she sports Ayotte “all the way” as well as John Suiter for the state House. 

Martha Simmons said the voting process was very smooth, and beamed as she announced she’d voted for Craig and Goodlander. A former poll worker herself, she expressed strong confidence in the integrity of the process, noting allegations from some corners that some individuals who are not qualified to vote do so anyway.

“There’s no way to vote illegally. You have your ID, and if not, you fill out a form,” she said.

Across from the school, John Lewicke held a tall post with the signs of a half-dozen Republican candidates affixed to it. A state representative from Mason who is not running for reelection this year, he explained his support for others with “I know these people, and I trust them.” He recalled a November day when he was in the same spot, saying, “I had a sleeping bag and a propane heater.”

By contrast, he called Tuesday’s cloudless sky “Democrat weather.”

Inside, greeter Ann Moser was impressed with the turnout.

“We had 10 people lined up before the polls even opened.” she said. 

Ashley Saari, Jesseca Timmons and David Allen contributed to this story.