The race for the mayoral office in New Hampshire’s capital city is a sequel featuring many of the same characters and major disputes as the first round – but will it have a different ending?
In 2023, the sixteen-year incumbent mayor, Jim Bouley, announced that he would not seek re-election. Concord’s city council at the time had a handful of members with ten or more years of experience in city government. Despite speculation about a fight to succeed Bouley, Byron Champlin was the only councilor to put his hat in the ring.
Two people challenged him, including former school board member and local activist Kate West. With Bouley’s backing, Champlin won comfortably, carrying 75% of the city vote.
Two years later, West has set up a rematch, saying Champlin’s term has brought little progress on the city’s most pressing issues and that she would welcome residents to the council table to speak their mind.
Both candidates say it is their experience that sets them apart.
Champlin has said that, with rising spending and major city projects up for debate, Concord needs a leader who’s been in the thick of it. As someone with ten years of council experience and strong connections in the business and non-profit community, he believes himself to be that person.
West, a single parent renting an apartment on the Heights, contrasts her life experience with that of most councilors who currently sit at the table. She has said the council lets down many of the city’s most vulnerable members, specifically people struggling to find housing and those who rely on public transportation. While the council’s members haven’t faced those challenges, according to West, she has.
Champlin is a retired communications professional who spent the bulk of his career with Lincoln Financial. Locally, he has served on the boards of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, CATCH Neighborhood Housing and New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, among others. He served as a Ward 4 and then at-large city councilor for a total of 10 years before being elected mayor in 2023.
West is an executive assistant at a solar company and former manager at the Capital Center for the Arts, and her community involvement includes time on the Concord Board of Education and advocacy with Change for Concord. She’s also a musician in local bands and a political advocate mobilizing testimony on congressional bills.
In the next two years, Champlin said he would focus on continuing financial support for Concord’s police and fire departments and working to bring more tax base growth to the city. West placed increasing government transparency and remedying the housing crisis at the top of her list.
Scroll for more information about the candidates.
Byron Champlin
Age: 75
Years living in Concord: 42
Top issues: Property taxes and city spending, economic development and revitalization, public safety/crime
Reason for running: “I love this city. Concord is at a critical juncture. Post-COVID, we have become an extremely popular place to live and work. This has put pressure on city services and has driven up the cost of housing. At the same time, it has gifted Concord with new residents eager to be a part of the community. I think it’s an important time for those of us who have experience on the council and a grounding on where we’ve come from to help face these challenges and steer us into the future.”
Key points:
- On city spending: “Given available resources, I think the city’s spending priorities are sound and balanced.”
- “We need to be competitive in hiring the most qualified public safety professionals and in keeping them by providing competitive wages and benefits and safe, up-to-date equipment and working environments. We need to continue to seek ways to attract sensible economic development that expands the tax base and takes pressure off residential property owners and renters. We should always weigh the near-term cost of city projects against our long-term goals as a community.”
- On public access: “Some people seem to think that the mayor is unapproachable, but I’ve made an effort over the last two years to be accessible, to respond to emails and phone calls as best I can and to meet people where they are. My monthly Coffee with the Mayor meetings have been an opportunity for me to hear from people in person and respond to their concerns. My Mayor’s Business Visitation Program has given local business owners a direct line to sharing their concerns and aspirations with me and city staff.”
Most important projects to Concord: Police station, Hall Street wastewater treatment plant, Memorial Field
Kate West
Age: 35
Years living in Concord: 7
Top issues: Housing, property taxes and city spending, government transparency and accessibility
Reason for running: “I’m running because many voices are still not being heard or given the opportunity to be heard. I want to expand access for Concord community members to participate actively in our city government’s decision-making process. Mayor Champlin said in [a recent] Concord Monitor article, ‘I want to see [the master plan] move forward.’ Mayor Champlin really wants to be a part of the master plan; I really want you to be a part of it.”
Key points:
- On experience: “I haven’t served on the city council before. This means I bring a fresh perspective, unclouded by old assumptions or the stubborn certainty born from incumbancy that too often blocks real progress. This is about real change, real accountability and a government that works for everyone and not just those who’ve been there the longest.”
- On public access: “I believe in encouraging residents to participate in the decisions that the city government is making on their behalf and would put it before the council to adopt rules and procedures that allow for public comment on any topic at city council meetings. I am determined to ask the hard questions, to demand honest answers and to make sure everything is fully transparent and available to the people we serve. I want to increase accessibilty and ensure the culture of the city government is to actively and intentionally seek out the opinions of community members.”
Most important projects to Concord: Hall Street wastewater treatment plant, Rundlett Middle School, Memorial Field
