State Senate District 11 includes Amherst, Merrimack, Milford and Wilton.
Shannon Chandley, a Democrat, will challenge Republican incumbent Tim McGough in the general election, seeking to win back the seat she previously held.
Shannon Chandley
Party affiliation: Democrat
What town/city do you live in? Amherst
Political experience: NH State House of Representatives, member (2008-2010; 2012-2014; 2016-2018), NH State Senator – District 11 (2018-2020; 2022-2024)
Professional experience: After earning a BA in History and English from the URI, I worked as a technical editor and later as head of the local History Room at a large city library. As a mother of four, I managed our family life while volunteering in our community, schools and local organizations. In 2008, I began my journey as an elected official. Representing the people of the district, listening to their concerns, being their voice, bringing stakeholders together to meet challenges and solve problems has been an honor.
Community service experience: Formerly, board member of: SHARE Outreach, Inc.; Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains; New England Chapter of CTF/National Neurofibromatosis Foundation; Member of University of Rhode Island Arts and Sciences Dean’s Council; Town of Amherst Ways and Means Committee; Amherst PTA; Souhegan PTSA Member
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? While there are a number of options to address the housing storage, the number one action to take is to fully fund the Housing Champions Program.
How involved should NH government and law enforcement be in immigration enforcement? We need to fix our broken immigration system. I support a sensible immigration policy that recognizes human dignity, the needs of our country and public safety. Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility. Our local tax dollars support local law enforcement. We should not expect members of our local law enforcement to do the job of federal agencies.
Do you support the Education Freedom Accounts program? No
To what extent should NH restrict abortion, if at all? The decision to have an abortion is one of health care and should be made by a woman in consultation with her doctor. The government should not insert itself into this decision.
What is one law currently on the books in NH that you would repeal, and why? I would repeal the universal access provision to the Education Freedom Account program. The EFA program was originally billed as a tool to help low-income families access different schools. Expanding the program without any restrictions, and with no accountability, is unwise and detrimental to our state.
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. I would raise state revenue through legal cannabis sales. EFAs are costing the state over $50 million. Repealing the universal access provision would return at least some of that money to the state.
As people across the state struggle with their local school tax bills, what role should the state play in funding education? The state should fund, to a greater extent, an adequate education. Court decisions have called upon the state to fulfill its obligation to provide an adequate education to all students. In order to do so, the state must redefine an adequate education with an eye to the future and develop a budget to that end.
Aside from those mentioned above, what do you believe is the biggest issue facing the state today? In addition to the other issues discussed above, the biggest issue facing the state today is attracting young people to live, work and stay in NH. We can address this issue through incentivizing the development of starter homes, making childcare accessible and affordable, continuing our strong tradition of high quality public education and protecting our natural resources that not only enhance our quality of life but also drive our tourism economy.
Find more information at the candidate’s website: www.shannonchandleyfornh.com
Tim McGough
Party affiliation: Republican
What town/city do you live in? Merrrimack
Political experience: Three terms NH House, one term NH Senate
Professional experience: CEO in life sciences and biotech, inventor/entrepreneur, paramedic
Community service experience: Prior volunteer paramedic, football and lacrosse coach, community CPR and first aid instructor
Policy Positions
Should NH legalize recreational marijuana use and possession? No
What is the No. 1 action the Legislature should take to address the housing shortage? Lift state regulations on development.
How involved should NH government and law enforcement be in immigration enforcement? NH should proactively seek opportunities to assist with immigration enforcement.
Do you support the Education Freedom Accounts program? Yes
To what extent should NH restrict abortion, if at all? It should keep the current law of restricting abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
What is one law currently on the books in NH that you would repeal, and why? Flock Cameras, or Automated License Plate Readers. I would repeal and replace RSA 261:75-b, which currently permits law-enforcement use of automated number-plate scanning devices under specified restrictions. I strongly support our police, but government should not routinely scan and track every law-abiding driver simply because the technology exists.
Even with limits on use and retention, I believe mass plate surveillance conflicts with NH’s strong constitutional tradition of privacy. I have already filed LSR 2027-0311, “relative to the use of number plate scanning devices,” to move this effort forward. Public safety is essential, but investigations should be focused on suspected criminal activity — not built around collecting the daily movements of innocent citizens.
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. I would focus on growing NH’s economy rather than raising taxes on working families. That means supporting responsible housing and business development, strengthening tourism and expanding the economic activity that generates meals and rooms tax and other existing revenues. NH remains one of the most business-friendly states in the country, and I am proud that Merrimack is welcoming two major employers: the public-benefit company United Therapeutics and Vicor’s innovative high-tech manufacturing operation.
On spending, I would reduce the state’s reliance on outside consultants and duplicative administrative contracts. Agencies should be required to justify those expenses, demonstrate measurable results and regularly rebid or eliminate contracts that do not deliver value. We should protect frontline services — including education, roads, health care, fire and EMS — while cutting administrative overhead first.
As people across the state struggle with their local school tax bills, what role should the state play in funding education? In the face of declining enrollment, each local district is faced with difficult choices: whether to fund more school administrators or concentrate their local spending on paying teachers fair wages and providing incentives for excellence in academics. The State House has a job to ensure an adequate education is available for every student, and the student’s needs and parental guidance must be an essential part of the equation. Each local SAU decides how their budgets are created, funded and spent, and property taxes are already too high.
Aside from those mentioned above, what do you believe is the biggest issue facing the state today? Lowering the cost of living for Granite Staters, not suggesting more taxes (revenue) just to fund more spending on the backs of NH families who just cannot afford it.
Find more information at the candidate’s website: www.VoteMcGough.org
