Voters in Northwood, Nottingham, Deerfield and Candia go to the polls Tuesday for a special State House election.
The special election this Tuesday is between Republican Yvonne Dean-Bailey of Northwood and Democrat Maureen Mann of Deerfield.
Mann, a former state representative, says she’s concerned that the state budget proposed by House Republicans will downshift transportation and education costs to local taxpayers. “All these small towns," Mann says, "are going to face hard choices about services they offer in terms of education, about increasing class size, cutting teachers.”
Mann says she would focus on issues specific to the district if voters send her back to the State House.
Dean-Bailey is a college student who has worked on several Republican campaigns. In a post on her campaign Tumblr site, she disagrees that the budget would lead to downshifting. Instead, she writes, the GOP spending plan gives communities more power over their school systems.
Dean-Bailey's campaign did not respond to several requests for comment, but speaking earlier this year on WGIR radio, Dean-Bailey said she would stand for conservative principles if elected, such as opposing the Common Core education standards and reducing taxes for business owners. “[I would] make sure that we create a better business climate, that we decrease those burdensome regulations on businesses, and that we work to create jobs in New Hampshire," she said.
The House seat has been vacant since the first day of the 2015 legislative session. Republican Brian Dobson resigned to take a position in the office of 1st District U.S. Representative Frank Guinta.
