Republican Kelly Ayotte, of Nashua, is the 83rd Governor of New Hampshire.

One hundred days ago, I made a promise to work each day to do what is best for all of New Hampshire. From day one, we’ve focused on strengthening our communities, protecting what makes New Hampshire special and leading our entire state to an even brighter future. I said then that although we face real challenges, I couldn’t be more optimistic about our shared future. While there’s much more work to do beyond these first hundred days, I’m proud of the progress we’ve made together.

Coming to this job as a former murder prosecutor and Attorney General, strengthening the safety of our communities was priority number one for me. Last month, I proudly signed a bipartisan law to fix our broken bail law. Working with law enforcement as well as legislators and local leaders from both sides of the aisle, we shut the revolving door for dangerous criminals and restored common sense to our criminal justice system.

We’re also working to keep deadly drugs and violent criminals out of New Hampshire’s neighborhoods through close cooperation with federal partners and a new partnership with the City of Lawrence, Mass. To make roadways safer, I’ve established a new Highway Safety Task Force to address distracted driving, wrong-way driving and speeding. Reckless driving will not be tolerated in New Hampshire.

At the same time, we’re protecting what makes our state strong.

From day one, I have emphasized that the State has an unbreakable commitment to protect services for the most vulnerable citizens. That’s why I have and will continue to fight for historic investments in special education, services for people with disabilities and mental health care.

And I’ve stood firm in defense of New Hampshire’s Medicaid program — one of the best in the country. The changes I’ve proposed will ensure we sustain one of the highest eligibility levels in the country and continue to provide coverage beyond where other states stop doing so. This is about building a system that works for all of New Hampshire.

When it comes to protecting what makes us special, we’re also looking outside — literally. That means protecting New Hampshire’s natural beauty and iconic industries. We proposed a moratorium on new landfill approvals and an overhaul of the approval process because communities deserve a say in what’s happening in their own backyards.

We’re going to honor the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters Easement to preserve land for timber harvesting and recreation to ensure those vital parts of our economy continue for future generations. And when regulators tried to impose harmful new rules on the state’s lobster fisheries, I stood up for this historic industry.

These first 100 days have also been about leading the way to a brighter future for all of New Hampshire. We’re tackling the housing crisis head-on by streamlining permitting, unlocking new funding tools and partnering with private and nonprofit leaders to find ways to expand housing supply across our state.

In education, we’re working to deliver the largest investment in public schools in state history and empower parents with universal education freedom. We’re also pushing for distraction-free classrooms by giving school districts the tools they need to curb cell phone use. And we’re investing in workforce development, particularly in the trades, to prepare the next generation for good-paying careers right here in New Hampshire.

All this great work is happening amid a tough budget environment, which we continue to navigate with a commitment to protecting critical services and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Before I was sworn in, I sat down with all commissioners and agency heads to discuss ways to do more with less and craft a budget that cuts spending while protecting the most vulnerable.

With the House having sent its version of the budget to the Senate, there is more work to do and issues to address. I look forward to working with both the House and Senate to deliver a budget that works for all of New Hampshire.

Despite the ongoing challenges we face, I am more optimistic than ever that New Hampshire will remain a shining beacon for New England and the nation. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together in these first one hundred days, but we won’t rest on our laurels. I’ll continue to get up each day energized to strengthen our communi ties, protect what makes us unique, and lead the charge toward a brighter future for all of New Hampshire.