KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – Cinde Warmington, the Democratic candidate for Governor in New Hampshire, identified the housing crisis as one of her top priorities during a Wednesday morning appearance on WKBK’s Open Mic Program, outlining a series of proposals she said would address affordability and the financial pressures facing New Hampshire families, businesses and communities.

Warmington has made housing and the broader affordability issue central to her 2026 campaign. Her campaign platform similarly identifies housing, energy costs and property taxes as major concerns

Warmington said that, if elected, she would make housing a first-day priority by developing a statewide housing plan and creating a system to track the state’s housing inventory, unmet housing needs and progress toward providing the number of units required.

“One of the most frustrating things in our state government is that we have absolutely no plan to resolve the housing crisis,” Warmington said during the program. “I would put somebody in charge of knowing how many housing units we have, how many we need, and how we’re going to get there on day one.”

She also proposed establishing guardrails around private equity involvement in housing, increasing investment in the state’s affordable housing fund and restoring the Housing Champions program.

Child Care and Affordability

Childcare was another major component of Warmington’s affordability agenda.

She said she supports expanding the childcare scholarship program, restoring childcare workforce grants and expanding opportunities for home-based childcare. She also said employers should be part of the effort to increase childcare availability and affordability.

Warmington argued that childcare is closely connected to the state’s broader affordability and workforce challenges, with access to reliable care affecting families’ ability to work and businesses’ ability to attract and retain employees.

Energy Costs and Renewable Energy

Warmington also discussed energy costs, calling for greater investment in energy efficiency, renewable energy and expanded solar deployment.

She cited what she described as a 15% increase in electricity rates under Gov. Kelly Ayotte and said New Hampshire should take steps to reduce dependence on fossil fuels while expanding renewable energy options.

Warmington also discussed obstacles facing solar development and the impact of energy costs on businesses.

Her energy proposals were presented as part of a broader effort to address household and business expenses.

Taxes and Property Taxes

On state taxes, Warmington said she does not support broad-based sales or income taxes.

Instead, she pointed to the legalization and taxation of cannabis as one potential source of state revenue.

“I think it’s outrageous that we send our residents traveling across state lines to pay taxes to Vermont and Massachusetts and Maine for a product that they want to purchase and should be able to purchase here in our state, it should be well regulated and taxed,” Warmington said.

Warmington also addressed the pressure on local property taxpayers. She attributed some of that pressure to education vouchers as well as what she described as the state shifting costs onto cities and towns.

She said the state should take greater responsibility for the financial consequences of decisions made in Concord rather than leaving municipalities to absorb additional costs through local property taxes.

Reviewing Costs Shifted to Local Communities

Warmington proposed making the financial impact on cities and towns part of the state’s review of every piece of legislation.

As a first-day action, she said she would establish a process to examine legislation for costs that could be shifted to local governments.

Under the approach she described, bills that create unfunded local costs would either be rejected or have a funding source identified before approval.

Warmington cited Medicaid-related expenses affecting health care facilities and county nursing homes as examples of costs that can have consequences for local communities.

Transportation Funding and Tolls

Transportation was another issue raised during the WKBK appearance.

Warmington criticized what she described as a $400 million shortfall in the state’s transportation plan and pointed to deteriorating bridges and other infrastructure needs.

She supported additional transportation funding and discussed increasing tolls on out-of-state drivers as one way to help address the funding gap.

Warmington said maintaining safe roads and bridges is important not only for commuters but also for students, businesses and the state’s broader economy.

Supreme Court Vacancy and Judicial Issues

Warmington also discussed the vacancy created by the upcoming departure of New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald.

She said she favored delaying the replacement until after the election. Warmington also called for an investigation into allegations of judicial corruption.

During the discussion, she was also asked about her past legal work for Purdue Pharma. Warmington said lawyers are not responsible for the conduct of their clients while expressing regret about having performed legal work for the company approximately 25 years ago.

Two Immediate Priorities

Warmington’s discussion on Open Mic centered on two specific actions she said she would take upon entering office.

The first would be to establish responsibility for tracking New Hampshire’s housing supply, identifying unmet housing needs and developing a plan for reaching the required number of housing units.

The second would be to review legislation for costs being shifted to cities and towns. Warmington said bills that create unfunded local obligations should either be rejected or accompanied by an identified source of funding.

Throughout the discussion, Warmington returned to affordability as a central issue, connecting housing, childcare, energy, transportation and property taxes to the financial pressures facing New Hampshire residents and communities.

Listen to the full interview here: Democratic Gubernatorial candidate, Cinde Warmington joins WKBK’s Dan Mitchell to answer questions about her campaign. 9.23.26 – My Keene Now