By Dana Wormald | Editor
Good morning, New Hampshire, and welcome to Thursday. Today, Maya Mitchell reports on New Hampshire’s need for new childcare programs and the challenges those would-be providers face when they set out to help fill the void. In the Thursday commentary, Brian Porto offers New Hampshire Democrats a suggested roadmap for navigating the battle over the first-in-the-nation primary. And, from States Newsroom’s Jennifer Shutt, a look at what U.S. Senate candidates, including in New Hampshire, are and are not saying about Social Security with Election Day fast approaching. Thank you for reading, and enjoy the day. — Dana
Madison Fisher walks with two of her children, Lila and Cooper, in The Willow Center in Hampton on Sept. 30, 2026. (Photo by Maya Mitchell/New Hampshire Bulletin)
By Maya Mitchell
Childcare availability issues have been a consistent concern for working families and politicians, but programs big and small are slowly popping up. Among them are The Willow Center in Hampton, a new Boys and Girls Club of Central and Northern New Hampshire program in Lisbon, and an Easterseals early learning center under construction in a new housing development village in Londonderry. These new programs are facing challenges parallel to those of existing programs: balancing business expenses with affordability, finding qualified staff, and gaining the support and trust of the community.
New Hampshire Secretary of State Dave Scanlan takes questions from reporters in the State House visitor center shortly after announcing the date of the 2024 New Hampshire presidential primary. (Photo by Ethan DeWitt/New Hampshire Bulletin)
COMMENTARY
By Brian Porto
“The shooting war with Iran and the trade ‘war’ with Canada are not the only conflicts roiling American political life these days. In our own backyard, the New Hampshire Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee are waging a continuing battle over New Hampshire’s place in the queue of Democratic primaries for 2028. Because both sides appear ‘dug in’ to dubious positions, cooler heads must prevail.”
By Jennifer Shutt
Nearly all of the U.S. senators elected this year will be in office when Congress debates how to restructure Social Security to prevent an automatic drop-off in retirement benefits in 2032. Very few candidates in competitive races, however, have policy proposals on their campaign websites and many, when contacted by States Newsroom, declined to share details about which changes they’d support if elected.
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