DOVER — Alice Wade and Lucas Veitch are duking it out in Dover's Ward 2 to earn the Democratic nomination for state representative for Strafford County District 15.
Whoever wins will face Republican Keith Mistretta, who is running unopposed , in November. They are all running to replace Bill Conlin, D-Dover, who is not running for re-election, to represent Dover Ward 2.
Strafford 15 is a blue district that is likely to elect the primary-winning Democrat.
Who is Alice Wade?
Wade is an aerospace engineer and policy advocate who graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2023. She is a member of the Dover Committee for Racial Equity and Inclusion and the treasurer of 603 Equality, a statewide New Hampshire advocacy group for LGBTQ+ rights.
Top issues listed in her press release included affordable housing, public education, healthcare freedom, and climate change action.
“As a young person, a trans woman, a renter, and someone working full-time, my everyday life is directly affected by the policies made in the statehouse,” said Wade in her press release. Last session, she testified in Concord against bills affecting transgender people . “I became motivated to get involved because I knew that New Hampshire could do better and wanted to fight to help it get there.”
She is calling for higher minimum wage, further investment in affordable housing, and improving public education by paying teachers fairly, providing free school lunches, and “letting teachers do their jobs.” In addition to other priorities, Wade also supports protecting reproductive healthcare and gender-affirming care, and says she will push for renewable energy.
Wade’s endorsements include state Sen. David Watters, D-Dover, and the New Hampshire Young Democrats, according to her website .
Who is Lucas Veitch?
Veitch is a data analyst at Gourmet Gift Baskets, a company based in Exeter. He is also serving a three-year term on the city of Dover’s Energy Commission. Veitch graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2016.
While there are many factors that contributed to his decision to run, Veitch said, the catalyst was observing how politics in Concord put the Dover Energy Commission’s plans to help lower energy costs and achieve net-zero emissions "in jeopardy."
“I want to help ensure New Hampshire continues sowing seeds for the next generation,” he said. “I believe there are four overarching issues that must be addressed in order for us to thrive. We must preserve our freedoms, protect our environment, promote public education, and provide affordable living.”
At the Statehouse, Veitch said he would support guaranteeing access to reproductive healthcare, prevent book banning , and “do everything in my power” to preserve the right to vote, like granting no-excuse absentee ballots and preventing gerrymandering.
He also called for legislation that prepares New Hampshire infrastructure for climate change, to reduce or eliminate private school vouchers, and to increase the supply of affordable housing, among other priorities.
Primary election information
The primary election will take place on Sept. 10. The Ward 2 polling location is at Dover Ice Arena, 110 Portland Ave, and will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
More information and a sample ballot is available on Dover’s city website .
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Alice Wade, Lucas Veitch compete for Dover Ward 2 state rep Democratic nomination
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