A pair of newcomers – a lifelong farmer who describes himself as a Constitutional conservative and a former associate commissioner for the Department of Health and Human Services who considers herself a political centrist – will face off to serve state Senate District 17.
“Really trying to represent that more moderate, centrist voice, that’s very much where I am,” said Christine Tappan, a Democrat from Northwood. “I think there’s a lot of people that are really tired of extremism and feeling like you’ve got to be one way or the other.”
She’s running against Howard Pearl, a sixth-generation farmer, operating Pearl and Sons Farm in Loudon, where he has lived his whole life.
Pearl, a Republican, says his time as a state representative showed him that there is room for bipartisan collaboration.
“There are plenty of opportunities to work together, Republicans and Democrats, to get good things done for the people of New Hampshire,” Pearl said.
District 17 represents the communities of Allenstown, Barnstead, Canterbury, Chichester, Deerfield, Epsom, Loudon, Northfield, Northwood, Nottingham, Pembroke and Pittsfield. Neither Pearl nor Tappan have served in the senate before. The current incumbent, State Sen. John Reagan, is not running for re-election.
Pearl has maintained a high level of community involvement over the years as the Loudon town moderator, treasurer of the N.H. Farm Bureau Federation, executive committee member for N.H. Grange’s Concord chapter and former member of the Loudon Zoning Board. Pearl has served as a state representative for Merrimack County District 26 since 2016, and is now seeking a seat in the state senate.
Pearl said the three biggest issues facing New Hampshire today are inflation, energy costs, and taxes and spending.
“The cost of electricity and home heating oil are reaching crisis levels,” Pearl said. “This must be a top priority for the incoming legislature so that families do not have to choose between heating their home or putting gas in their car.”
He is firmly against establishing any income or sales tax, saying it could negatively impact the state in the event of an economic recession. Pearl would not support any gun control measures. He would consider supporting marijuana legalization for recreational use, depending on the legislation. He does not believe that New Hampshire should be doing more to address climate change.
While a state representative, Pearl voted in favor of the 24-week abortion ban which passed in 2021, and against the subsequent bill that added exceptions to the ban for fetal abnormalities incompatible with life. But Pearl said Tuesday that he would not support further abortion restrictions.
“I’m comfortable with the law as it is today,” Pearl said.
Pearl said he wants to be a voice for the agricultural community and small business owners in the statehouse.
“I believe that my life experiences as a sixth-generation farmer and community leader give me a unique perspective on the challenges facing New Hampshire,” Pearl said. “There are very few small business owners in the state senate and I will use my experience to speak directly to the issues of the small business community which makes up 50% of New Hampshire’s economy.”
Tappan, the former Associate Commissioner for the state Department of Health and Human Services, now works as co-director of Global Center on Technical Assistance & Implementation for the international social change company Abt Associates. Over her career, she has worn many hats. She has been an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army and director of local government affairs at the American Public Human Services Association. She is also the founder of BirchWalking, a wellness company that offers guided nature walks for mental health. She sits on the board of NH Healthcare Workers for Climate Action Advisory and has served on Northwood’s school board and budget committee.
Tappan, who considers herself an independent, said the biggest issues facing New Hampshire today are energy affordability, housing and childcare, and maintaining quality education.
“I care about working families having reasonable energy costs, having access to a quality and affordable childcare, being able to afford to put gas in their car,” Tappan said. “What I’m most concerned about is what can we do to bring those costs down.”
Tappan supports school choice, but believes the Education Freedom Account program is draining too many public school resources.
“We need to support the public schools. And we can factor in some choice, but we need to do that in a way that doesn’t bust the budget,” Tappan said. “I don’t believe you should draw off all the resources from the public school system to support kids going to other schools.”
She does not support establishing any income or sales tax, saying she doesn’t see a need for it. She is firmly pro-choice and does not support any bans or restrictions on abortion access. She would consider supporting marijuana legalization, as long as the revenue goes toward substance use treatment. She supports gun ownership, but is in favor of certain safety restrictions like closing loopholes for gun show sales and “red flag” laws to restrict access in severe mental health situations.
Tappan believes her experience working for the state gave her insight into how to address some of the social determinants of that impact New Hampshire’s increasing mental health and substance use issues.
“Over at [DHHS], I oversaw the whole behavioral health system and I was part of some of those solutions going into place of supporting them,” Tappan said. “Now we’re going back in the wrong direction again and I really believe it’s because we’re not we’re not staying focused with concerted effort on that, and the other things that affect it.”