One of the most interesting races for the 24 seats in the New Hampshire Senate is playing out in District 16. Technically, neither of the two candidates that voters will see on the general election ballot ran in the primary. In fact, both seemingly had no intention of running for Senate until just a few weeks ago. The two candidates represent polar opposites; a liberty conservative versus a hardcore progressive socialist. The District includes Candia, Goffstown, Hooksett, Manchester Ward 1, and Raymond.
The story begins in May, when Hooksett State Representative Michael Yakubovich announced his candidacy for State Senate in District 16. The seat was previously held by Kevin Cavanaugh, who vacated the seat to run for Executive Council. The District also became more conservative in the 2022 redistricting. Goffstown State Representative Barbara Griffin then announced that she would challenge Yakubovich for the Republican nomination. Yakubovich beat Griffin in every town, including Goffstown. Shortly after the September 13th primary, the Republican nominee announced on his campaign site that he was withdrawing from the election due to a severe illness. As per state law, the Republican Party was then allowed to appoint a nominee to replace him. In consultation with the primary winner, the Party leaders decided to select Keith Murphy as the new nominee for Senate District 16.
Murphy is a small business owner who served as a State Representative from 2010 to 2018. He currently owns and operates Murphy’s Taproom and Murphy’s Diner in Manchester and Murphy’s Carriage House in Bedford. During his time in Concord, he sponsored legislation to promote liberty and keep the government out of the personal lives of Granite Staters. In 2017, he proposed HB640, which lowered the penalties for cannabis possession. The bill was signed into law. He sponsored HB362, which removed the vaccine requirement for non-communicable diseases. The bill was signed into law. He sponsored HB1649, which sought to remove the requirement for reinspection within two years of a car being manufactured. The bill did not pass into law.
Keith Murphy is A+ rated and endorsed by the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance, the premier pro-freedom organization in the state. His strong support for medical freedom and economic freedom earned him the endorsement of Rebuild New Hampshire. His strong support for low taxes and economic freedom earned him the endorsement of Americans For Prosperity. Murphy supports low taxes, economic freedom, medical freedom, and the right to self-defense. His support for gun rights earned him an A rating from the New Hampshire Firearms Coalition and the NRA. He supports parents’ right to choose the best educational environment for their children, while his opponent supports total government control over education. Murphy believes that individuals are capable of making their own decisions, and that politicians should interfere with their lives as little as possible. Trisciani represents the polar opposite view; that the government should be involved in every facet of our lives, from cradle to grave.
Like Murphy, Manchester Alderman June Trisciani did not plan to run for State Senate until very recently. But that is where their similarities end. Due to the District being so conservative and their incumbent leaving to seek higher office, it seemed like the Democrats were going to concede the seat to the Republicans to focus on the other elections. Just prior to the September 13th primary, though, a small write-in campaign developed and Trisciani easily won the nomination with 661 votes, while no other Democrat received any votes, easily making her the Democratic nominee.
Trisciani’s website makes it clear that she believes in a very strong government that spends a large amount of money taking care of all individuals. She believes that politicians should set prices and wages. She seems to believe in abortion up until the moment of birth. Trisciani supports the government making seemingly every decision for individuals, including making it a crime for employers and employees to agree to a mutually beneficial wage, and government-run healthcare. She seems to oppose school choice, preferring to use the government’s power to force all parents to send their children to government-run schools. She seems to be so focused on advocating for Bronx-style government-subsidized ‘affordable housing’ projects that she did not have time to use proper spelling and grammar on her site.
This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Liberty Block or any of its staff. We welcome all forms of serious feedback and debate.
