Incumbent state Sen. Denise Ricciardi, a Republican, and Matt McLaughlin, a Democrat, will face off on Nov. 3 for the seat to represent New Hampshire Senate District 9. Both are from Bedford.

Senate District 9 includes 13 towns in Cheshire and Hillsborough counties, including Greenfield, Jaffrey, Lyndeborough, Sharon and Temple.

Ricciardi has represented the district since 2020 and was on the Bedford Town Council from 2019 to 2022. She’s focused on water issues and legislation supporting children and families.

McLaughlin attended the U.S. Naval Academy and became a tactical aviator in the Navy, then served as a commercial airline pilot. This is his third time running against Ricciardi.

Both candidates agree that affordability and property tax relief are at the front of constituents’ minds.

“I have never seen property tax relief as front and center in all my years following New Hampshire politics,” said McLaughlin. “It’s an issue that has really bubbled to the forefront, as part of the larger issue of affordability.”

McLaughlin said he sees the problem exacerbated by business tax cuts and downshifting of responsibilities onto property owners.

For Ricciardi, she said she’s been tackling the issue from a different angle. Past bills she’s worked to pass have increased revenue that goes back to towns, she said, such as increasing the percentage of the room and meals tax that returns to towns. If re-elected, she said she’ll work to keep increasing that percentage to 40%, which is what the state originally promised.

“It’s a heavy lift, but when they tell me I can’t do something, I get it done,” said Ricciardi.

On housing affordability, Ricciardi said one route was improving infrastructure, including water and sewer systems. Ricciardi also sponsored a bill to help small towns access planning services from regional planning commissions.

Education funding

As in many races, this November’s ballot question that will ask voters whether they want to cap school district spending is a sticking point for candidates.

Ricciardi said she supports it because it lets towns decide the issue of a tax cap themselves.

“The people in their towns know what’s best for their towns,” said Ricciardi.

McLaughlin, meanwhile, has said the issue of tax caps should be dealt with in March, not pushed by the Legislature onto the November ballot.

“It belongs in Town Meeting,” said McLaughlin. “That’s the form of government we have. I think the problem is that [Republicans] don’t like the results they get when this kind of vote goes to Town Meeting.”

Ricciardi said she supports school choice, as Republicans have worked to expand alternatives to public education. She said she believes in the power of public school and would like it to be the best it can be, but there are many students who thrive better in other educational environments.

“If they thrive better somewhere else, they should be able to go,” said Ricciardi.

McLaughlin said Education Freedom Accounts have raised the program’s enrollment numbers well beyond its initial limit. The Legislature also recently removed income restrictions for the program, which gives financial support to families who don’t send their kids to public school.

“It’s expanded and expanded over the last five years,” said McLaughlin.

Other issues

Ricciardi said that while she is anti-abortion, she thinks that New Hampshire’s current laws around abortion are a “good place to be,” and said it should be a matter of education rather than legislation. Abortions are currently legal in New Hampshire up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.

McLaughlin said women have a right to reproductive health care and the state shouldn’t be in the way. McLaughlin said he didn’t have strong objections to the current law but said he would also support lessening restrictions if it came to a vote.

On the issue of legalizing recreational marijuana, Ricciardi said she worries about public safety and doesn’t support it right now. She said she’s concerned that there’s no definitive way to test for cannabis use during sobriety screenings on the road.

“I have a real issue with that,” Ricciardi said.

McLaughlin said he supported the legalization of recreational marijuana, considering its legal status in every surrounding state, but that it should be regulated and taxed.

On gun regulation, McLaughlin noted that school shootings have become so frequent that they often pass through news cycles within a day. He said he would support some tightening of laws, including waiting periods for purchasing a firearm.

Meanwhile, Ricciardi said New Hampshire is one of the safest states in the country. She has said she’s against stricter gun laws.

“If you take away guns, law-abiding citizens will listen and criminals won’t,” Ricciardi said.