Merrimack District 22 represents Ward 8 in Concord. Alison Murphy will face Jonathan Cate in the general election. James Leon Roesener has held the seat since 2022 but did not file for re-election. Cate did not give his response to the Monitor’s candidate survery.
Alison Murphy
Party affiliation: Democrat
What town/city do you live in? Concord
Political experience: This is my first foray into politics. Personally, I keep up with politics and contact my representatives when an issue matters to me, but I don’t have experience holding office.
Professional experience: I am a small business owner. My wife and I own the plant shops Penumbra; we have one in Concord and one in Goffstown. Before that, I’ve worked for nonprofits doing program management.
Community service experience: I am on Concord’s DEIJB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging) committee. I am also on the board of Intown Concord.
Policy Positions
Should NH legalize recreational marijuana use and position? Yes
What is the No. 1 action the Legislature should take to address the housing shortage? Give towns and cities grants to revise their local zoning restrictions.
How involved should NH government and law enforcement be in immigration enforcement? NH should not assist at all.
To what extent should NH restrict abortion, if at all? It should not restrict abortion at all.
What is one law currently on the books in NH that you would repeal, and why? I think I may be circumventing the question, but this is something the legislature voted on recently that I would change: I would make car inspections mandatory again. I think that the safety of our roads depends on drivers having vehicles that are up to code, and our air quality will suffer without emissions standards on our cars. I know in the short term, it can be nice to have no inspection costs, but I think that in the long term, it’s more cost effective for residents to have their cars checked regularly.
NH consistently struggles with funding its government and services. What is one way you would raise state revenue, and what is onea rea you would cut expenses? Be specific. To raise state revenue, I would increase the Business Enterprise Tax by 0.05%. This is the amount it was reduced in the 2026 budget, and I think that increasing it back to 2025 levels will have a great impact on the state’s budget. The Business Enterprise Tax is the total of all compensation paid or accrued, interest paid or accrued, and dividends paid by a business. It doesn’t apply to businesses whose total of those aforementioned items is less than $298,000, which is why I like increasing this tax. It wouldn’t affect small businesses, but it would help the government have a greater base of tax support.
To cut expenses, I would create more restrictions on Education Freedom Accounts. I think that there should be income limits on the program, and by doing so, the state of NH would pay out less from the program. I don’t think that high income families should qualify for this money. I feel that it was intended to help low-income families, and that intention has been lost.
As people across the state struggle with their local school tax bills, what role should the state play in funding education? I think that the state should play a greater role in funding education. First, it would create a more just system, with different school districts having less variability between them. I think it is reasonable to expect that the state and local government share in responsibility for education funding, and the share that the local tax payers are covering is much greater than the state. I don’t think it should be completely up to the state in funding education; I think it’s fine that the local governments pay a portion. But, I think that the portions are unsustainable. I know a lot of folks, both renters and home owners, who can’t keep up with property taxes via rent or directly on their property. To expect us to pay so much, and an increasing amount every year, is going to come to a head at some point. And we need a plan before that happens.
Aside from those mentioned above, what do you believe is the biggest issue facing the state today? To me, the biggest issue is a combination of all these issues. Living in NH is becoming unaffordable to a lot of people, and I think that’s a problem. Trying to pay for housing, healthcare, groceries, and everything else it takes to keep a family going is just too much. Wages aren’t going up at the same rate as the cost of living, and something has to be done. I think it’s probably a combination of things that will have to be done, but if the legislature can help make things more affordable for people living in NH, I’d like to see that happen.