KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Republican U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown used a Wednesday morning appearance on WKBK’s Good Morning with Dan Mitchell to draw contrasts with his Republican primary opponent John Sununu and Democratic candidate Chris Pappas while outlining his positions on foreign policy, affordability, housing, health care, Social Security and artificial intelligence.

With the New Hampshire primary approaching, Brown said his campaign is focused on turning out voters during the final days of the race. He said that effort includes making voter-contact calls, helping provide rides to the polls, advertising, reminding voters about absentee ballots and participating in a forum at New England College.

Brown said independent voters could play an important role in the Republican primary because New Hampshire allows undeclared voters to choose a party ballot on Election Day.

He also criticized Sununu for declining to participate in a Channel 9 debate, arguing that candidates seeking statewide office should participate in the kind of direct voter engagement he said is part of the “New Hampshire way.”

Brown said he has visited Keene roughly 30 times since launching his campaign and portrayed himself as independent from the interests backing other candidates.

Foreign Policy and National Security

The interview also covered several international issues, including Iran, Canada, Russia, China, NATO and the Strait of Hormuz.

Brown said he supported the administration’s initial military posture toward Iran and the goal of preventing the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon. However, he said the United States should have maintained stronger economic and military pressure sooner rather than allowing pressure to ease.

On Canada, Brown criticized President Donald Trump’s approach to the longtime U.S. ally, saying the United States can pursue trade negotiations without unnecessarily antagonizing Canada.

The discussion also touched on U.S. weapons capacity, NATO members’ contributions to collective defense and the broader strategic competition with China.

AI and Data Centers

Brown said the United States needs to remain aggressive in the competition with China over artificial intelligence while maintaining a role for states and local communities in determining how the technology and related infrastructure develop.

That includes data centers, which Brown said should remain subject to local approval.

He argued that large data-center projects should be required to provide or support the infrastructure they need rather than placing additional burdens on New Hampshire’s electrical grid or other public systems.

Brown also pointed to small modular nuclear reactors as a potential part of the state’s future energy strategy, including the possibility of using spent fuel rods from Seabrook.

Affordability and Housing

Affordability was another major focus of the interview, with Brown pointing to regulation, energy costs and supply expenses as factors contributing to higher prices.

He argued that increasing domestic production would help address some food costs and opposed relying on additional imported beef. He also connected energy prices and inflation to international conflicts that can disrupt oil markets.

On housing, Brown said policymakers need to examine why construction-material costs have remained elevated since the COVID-19 pandemic. He also called for streamlining permitting and approvals, expanding trade-school pipelines to address construction labor shortages and using public-private partnerships to increase housing supply.

Among the financing tools he discussed were low- or no-interest loans and “soft second” mortgages designed to make homeownership more attainable.

Social Security and Health Care

Brown said Social Security needs a bipartisan solution and discussed several potential approaches, including changing the income level subject to Social Security taxes and gradually increasing the retirement age for younger workers.

He also criticized the Affordable Care Act as too expensive and advocated for greater state-level competition in health care while maintaining protections for catastrophic coverage and people with special needs.

Child care emerged as an area where Brown acknowledged more work was needed. While he discussed affordability broadly, he did not outline a specific federal child-care policy during the interview.

Addressing Family and Community Challenges

A caller also asked Brown about the long-term effects of broken families and challenges facing young people.

Brown connected the issue to his own background and emphasized community-level involvement rather than relying solely on government programs. He pointed to schools, youth sports, mentoring and civic organizations as places where adults can provide support and positive role models.

He cited organizations including Rotary, Lions Club, Kiwanis, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Easter Seals and veterans’ organizations as examples of community groups that can play a role.

Brown said strengthening those local connections can help address social problems before they become larger crises.

As the primary campaign enters its final stretch, Brown is positioning his candidacy around independence from political and industry interests while emphasizing national security, affordability and local control as central issues for New Hampshire voters.

Listen to the full interview: