The Democratic National Committee may have voted to hold the first primary in South Carolina but make no mistake: New Hampshire will host the first in the nation presidential primary. We will follow our state law as we have done for decades. Potential candidates have already begun testing the political waters here in our state and they will continue to do so. Among them, California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The Granite State proudly welcomes all candidates to make their pitch and listen to voters. And while Democrats and Republicans have different perspectives for sure, there are a few constants that candidates from both parties should champion if they hope to poll well here: the importance of government accountability, free-market competition and economic opportunity.
On those principles, Newsom’s record doesn’t pass a smell test, much less serious scrutiny. California’s high taxes, burdensome regulations and litigious legal system impose significant costs on working families, stifle job creators and discourage economic growth.
Under Newsom’s leadership, California’s business climate ranks the third-worst in the country, behind only New York and New Jersey, according to the Tax Foundation’s “Competitiveness Index.” It consistently falls dead last in an annual CEO survey of best and worst states for businesses, while other data shows it’s the least affordable places to live in the U.S.
Newsom’s and his fellow policymakers’ answer is to double down on more of the same. This year, California introduced a “billionaires’ tax,” which could cost as much as $25 billion in lost revenue as wealthy residents leave. Already, many high-profile, high-net worth individuals have pulled up stakes, including Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page and Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick.
Even the entertainment industry — one of California’s chief exports and a major economic engine — is not immune from politicians’ heavy hand. Just this month, the state’s Attorney General Rob Bonta, appointed to by Newsom, filed a lawsuit to block Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Brothers, a deal that is projected to revitalize film and television production.
The case perfectly embodies California’s liberal elitism. A bipartisan study concludes that the acquisition would “create a stronger American competitor capable of investing in more content, more innovation and more jobs.”
The merger received approval from the U.S. Department of Justice after an eight-month review, which found it would “increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, with benefits for American consumers and workers.” Regulators in more than two dozen countries — including the liberal-leaning European Union — also signed off on the merger, as did Warner Brothers’s shareholders.
Yet, Newsom’s handpicked Attorney General succeeded in slowing the deal. Paramount agreed this week to delay closing until the case is heard by a jury — what one news outlet called a “big flex” of the company’s confidence that the facts are on its side. By all accounts, they are. Nevertheless, the state’s lawsuit, at least temporarily, sidelines the production and jobs the deal would deliver, while leaving the industry in limbo.
Then there’s California’s reckless disregard for taxpayers’ money. Newsom’s high-speed rail project — what’s been called a “boondoggle” and the “worst public infrastructure failure in U.S. history” — has now topped $230 billion in costs, almost 700 times more than originally estimated. Not a single operational track has been laid nearly 20 years after it was approved by voters.
Since 2019, Newsom has spent $37 billion on homeless programs. He vetoed bills that would have tracked how that money was used. As a result, “no one knows” how much the state is spending or whether it’s working. What’s to show for it? Homelessness went up in California between 2019 and 2024 — and again last year.
New Hampshire voters are a good indicator of national attitudes. We welcome good ideas, no matter which party presents them. But Granite Staters won’t compromise on the issues that affect hard-working families: the economy, inflation and affordability, and stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
If Newsom hopes to connect with voters here in the first in the nation primary state, he has some explaining to do. His record of reckless spending, over-regulation and costly litigation won’t be well received by working-class individuals and families. He wants to bring California’s economy to New Hampshire. We simply can’t afford it.
Tim Lang is serving his second term in the New Hampshire State Senate and is chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.