In a contested Democratic primary Tuesday for state representative in Concord’s Ward 9, a physical therapist is vying against a party activist and communications worker.
Marc Lacroix, 63, said he has 40 years of experience in health care and has worked in a management role at Concord Hospital for the past six. He said his work in the field led him to legislative advocacy, and as he approaches retirement, he’s making his first bid for elected office.
Kris Schultz, 47, said she’s worked as a political consultant for nearly 20 years and does communications work for two statewide religious organizations. Rather than supporting other people’s campaigns, she said it’s time for her to work on the issues at the State House directly.
On the other side of the ticket, Republican Michael Feeley is running uncontested in the special election primary.
Each Democrat identified access to health care as their primary legislative concern, although they bring different perspectives to the issue.
Lacroix, who is director of specialty services at Concord Hospital, was appointed by then-Gov. Maggie Hassan in 2014 to a commission to reduce workers’ compensation costs and has also served as president of the New Hampshire Physical Therapy Association.
“Really, I think we need to ensure access to health care for as many people as possible. Keeping expanded Medicaid is one of the ways to do it,” he said. “If you can catch chronic diseases early enough, you can reduce a lot of the complications with it, which reduces health care costs in total.”
Schultz said her formative experience with the health care industry came after she was diagnosed with a tumor that had grown to the size of a grapefruit in her ovary. It was a condition she was born with, she said, but she never knew about it until it demanded an emergency surgery.
Schultz said she was hospitalized three times, but her insurance had lapsed, and she was now labeled with a pre-existing condition that meant she couldn’t get coverage. She eventually declared bankruptcy under the weight of her medical bills.
“I know firsthand how awful it was,” she said. “In 2005, more women declared bankruptcy than graduated college, predominantly because of health care bills.”
Behind preserving expanded Medicaid, Schultz said her other top priorities are establishing a $15 minimum wage and protecting wages and benefits for public employees.
In the 2016 presidential primary, Schultz said it was a “tough decision” for her between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, but she voted for Clinton.
Lacroix said his other priorities behind health care are to support education and the quality of life in Concord, especially as it relates to seniors aging independently in their homes.
Asked whom he supported in the presidential primary, Lacroix said he would “keep that one to myself,” but assured that he voted a Democratic ballot. Public records at the city clerk’s office contradict that notion, however, as they show that Lacroix voted a Republican ballot on Feb. 9, 2016.
“I couldn’t tell you whether it’s my memory or whether that’s an error,” he said. “I will tell you it’s my belief that I voted in the Democratic presidential primary.”
Lacroix said he’s never held an elected office. Schultz said she’s been a supervisor of the checklist for six years in the ward where she’s running to be one of New Hampshire’s 400 state representatives.
Schultz has outspent her opponent by a margin of $2,816 to $816, according to their most recent reports filed with the secretary of state’s office.
The seat, which represents Concord’s Heights district, was vacated by 85-year-old Democrat Andrew deTreville, who resigned in February. The primary will be held Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Havenwood retirement home campus, 33 Christian Ave. It will be followed by a general election July 18.
(Nick Reid can be reached at 369-3325 or nreid@cmonitor.com.)