Participating were Mark Connolly of New Castle, Steve Marchand of Portsmouth, and Colin Van Ostern of Concord.
Van Ostern, a current executive councilor, started a round of opening statements by saying he is running for governor, “so we can build a stronger economy where everyone in New Hampshire has a chance to succeed, and not just those at the top.”
Van Ostern mentioned restoring funding for Planned Parenthood, and making Medicaid expansion permanent. If said if elected governor, he would work to expand passenger rail from Boston.
Van Ostern said people in New Hampshire have to work. It is rare for families to have someone able to stay at home for child care every day. That is just one reason to support and protect public education, he said.
“We must have full-day public kindergarten in every community in New Hampshire,” Van Ostern said.
Marchand said he has the most executive experience of the three candidates because he served as the mayor of Portsmouth.
Born in Manchester, Marchand said the state is radically different than it was when he was born in 1974, and it needs to continue progressing. He said current state law is behind the mainstream beliefs of the people who live in New Hampshire, particularly on the topics of ending the death penalty and legalization of marijuana.
