Former U.S. transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg visited the Granite YMCA in Concord on Friday, focusing on the high cost and low access to child care in New Hampshire — a national issue he said is making American life unaffordable.
After a tour of the facility, Buttigieg and U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander listened to concerns from state Democratic leaders and advocates, who said New Hampshire needs both more funding for child care and policies that support it, from zoning to business tax credits.
“The biggest thing I’m taking away here is that you cannot expect independent child care providers, with no policy support, to be able to meet the needs of the community,” Buttigieg said, stressing that while workers need adequate wages, families also need affordable options. “There will be a gap there unless we choose to fill it.”
Buttigieg has spent the past two days campaigning with Goodlander and Senate-hopeful U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, making stops in Manchester and Nashua on Thursday ahead of a Friday evening lecture at Dartmouth College.
Two years ahead of the first-in-the-nation primary, Buttigieg is considered a potential Democratic frontrunner in the 2028 presidential race. He previously ran in the 2020 Democratic primary.
On Saturday, he’s set to host a “grassroots mobilization event” in downtown Concord. Check back in Monday’s Monitor for more coverage.