State Senate District 10 includes Alstead, Chesterfield, Dublin, Hancock, Harrisville, Keene, Marlborough, Nelson, Peterborough, Roxbury, Sullivan, Surry, Swanzey, Walpole and Westmoreland.
The incumbent Democratic senator, Donovan Fenton, is running for reelection unopposed.
Donovan Fenton
Party affiliation: Democrat
What town/city do you live in? Keene
Political experience: Three terms NH State Representative 2016-2022, two terms NH State Senate 2022-Present
Professional experience: Vice President, Fenton Family Dealerships
Community service experience: The Community Kitchen of Keene — served on the Board of Directors. Cedarcrest Center for Children with Disabilities — served in a board/trustee leadership role. Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention (MCVP) — volunteered with the organization.
Policy Positions
Should NH legalize recreational marijuana use and possession? Yes
What is the No. 1 action the Legislature should take to address the housing shortage? Give towns and cities grants to revise their local zoning restrictions.
How involved should NH government and law enforcement be in immigration enforcement? NH should assist only when directly asked by the federal government.
Do you support the Education Freedom Accounts program? No
To what extent should NH restrict abortion, if at all? It should not restrict abortion at all.
What is one law currently on the books in NH that you would repeal, and why? I would repeal NH’s so-called “divisive concepts” law, RSA 193:40. I don’t believe Concord should be micromanaging classroom discussions or putting teachers in a position where they have to worry that teaching difficult parts of our history could jeopardize their careers. We should trust our teachers to teach history honestly and appropriately, while maintaining strong protections against actual discrimination.
NH consistently struggles with funding its government and services. What is one way you would raise state revenue, and what is one area you would cut expenses? Be specific. On the revenue side, I would stop further cuts to NH’s business taxes. We have repeatedly reduced business tax rates, and I don’t believe we should continue cutting state revenue while communities are struggling to fund schools, roads, public safety and other essential services. As a business owner myself, I believe businesses should contribute their fair share toward the state and communities that allow us to succeed.
On the spending side, I would target administrative overhead, outside consulting contracts, and duplication across state government. Before we cut teachers, healthcare services, law enforcement or programs that directly serve residents, we should require agencies to identify duplicative administrative functions and demonstrate that large outside contracts are actually saving taxpayers money.
NH should be disciplined on both sides of the ledger: maintain the revenue we need to meet our obligations while making sure every taxpayer dollar is being spent effectively.
As people across the state struggle with their local school tax bills, what role should the state play in funding education? The state needs to take greater responsibility for funding public education. For too long, NH has relied too heavily on local property taxpayers to fund our schools, creating enormous disparities between communities and putting an unsustainable burden on homeowners.
Every child in NH deserves access to a quality public education regardless of their ZIP code or their town’s property values. The state should increase its share of education funding, provide meaningful targeted aid to communities with the greatest need, and reduce the pressure on local property taxes.
We also need to make sure that additional state funding actually results in property tax relief for homeowners. Simply shifting money around without lowering the burden on taxpayers isn’t enough.
Aside from those mentioned above, what do you believe is the biggest issue facing the state today? One of the biggest issues facing NH is whether the next generation can afford to build a life here. We have an aging population and need young people to stay in NH, raise families, start businesses, and become part of our communities.
But too many are being priced out. Housing is too expensive, child care can cost as much as a mortgage, and wages have struggled to keep pace with rising costs. As a father of three young children and a business owner, I see both sides of this challenge.
We need to make NH a place where someone can graduate from school, find a good-paying job, afford a home, raise a family, and still be here twenty years later. That means increasing our housing supply, making child care more affordable and accessible and building a strong workforce for the future.
Find more information at the candidate’s website: donovanfenton.com
