Why I’m running for Executive Council

The council wields incredible power, and with that power comes responsibility

When three Republican men on New Hampshire’s Executive Council voted last year to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood in New Hampshire, many Granite Staters took notice. That vote mortgaged the health of women and families to satisfy a national partisan agenda.

I was appalled that the Executive Council again put partisan ideology ahead of the best interests of New Hampshire’s citizens, so I decided to do something about it. I’m running for Executive Council in District 3 because I believe we must fully restore funding for Planned Parenthood, and put the people’s best interests ahead of politics once and for all.

The Executive Council is a five-member elected body that approves every major state contract, as well as judges, commissioners and directors of all state agencies. Councilors vote on members of state licensing boards who regulate everything from the quality of our health care providers to our home inspectors. The council even determines the state’s 10-year highway plan.

The Executive Council wields incredible power, and with that power comes responsibility. It was irresponsible to misuse that power to defund Planned Parenthood, kill renewable energy projects and reject funding for passenger rail.

As the only woman running for Executive Council from any district, I will bring a needed pragmatic perspective to this important office. As a mother and grandmother, as family caregiver to elderly parents, as someone who has had careers as a nurse and as a mental health counselor, I understand how to fight some of our biggest challenges, like substance misuse and mental illness.

As an attorney and small business owner, Rotarian, member of the Salem Chamber of Commerce, and as a former chair of the Salem Board of Selectmen, I know how to help businesses and communities grow and succeed. That’s the kind of experience we need on the Executive Council.

We need to tackle the big issues that face our state head-on, and I’m ready for the challenge. I treated patients with addictions as a licensed mental health counselor, and have served on the board of the Center for Life Management, my region’s community mental health center, for a decade.

The opioid and substance misuse epidemic facing our state was a long time in the making, and the de-funding of prevention and treatment services directly contributed to it. I will fight to make sure we fund effective strategies to defeat the opioid crisis, and to make sure every Granite Stater has access to mental health services.

New Hampshire faces many critical challenges that require strong, experienced leadership. I’ll be a strong voice for New Hampshire women and families, for small businesses, and for common sense ahead of partisan ideology. I hope you’ll join me.

Democrat Beth Roth of Salem is a candidate for Executive Council in District 3.