Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte (left) and Democratic challenger Cinde Warmington went back and forth on housing and healthcare during the second and final Candidate Conversation hosted on Oct. 27 by the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce. Telegraph photo by CHRISTOPHER ROBERSON

NASHUA – Having reduced her deficit in the polls to eight percent, Democratic gubernatorial challenger Cinde Warmington attacked Gov. Kelly Ayotte on housing and healthcare during the second and final Candidate Conversation hosted by the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce.

Ayotte leads Warmington 50 percent to 42 percent, according to the Oct. 22 poll from the St. Anselm College Survey Center.

During the Oct. 27 chamber event, Warmington said young couples, working two jobs each, can barely afford rent let alone a single-family home. She has also heard from young adults in their mid-20s who have moved back in with their parents as the cost of housing is simply out of reach. In addition, seniors are being forced out of their homes as their fixed incomes no longer cover the rising utility costs.

According to the New Hampshire Association of Realtors, the median sale price of a single-family home is now $569,900. According to Zillow, monthly rents range from $1,466 to $2,740. In contrast, the median income among Granite Staters is $45,686 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“This governor has failed to address this issue,” said Warmington.

She said she recently met with a business owner in Laconia who is buying housing for their employees.

“That is not sustainable,” said Warmington. “I will make sure we are funding the Affordable Housing Fund.”

She said Ayotte has not increased funding for the Affordable Housing Fund or the Housing Champion Program.

Warmington also called attention to private equity companies and Ayotte’s ties to Blackstone, Inc., the largest landlord in the country. Ayotte sat on Blackstone’s Board of Directors from 2019 to 2024. During that five-year period, she received an annual salary of $150,000 and amassed 16,500 shares of stock valued at approximately $2.2 million.

Warmington said Ayotte “made millions of dollars throwing people out of their homes.”

When private equity companies stormed into New Hampshire, Warmington said Ayotte responded by signing HB 60 into law, which gives landlords the option of no-fault eviction. According to the legislation, property owners can now “terminate a tenancy at the lease’s expiration under specific conditions.”

In response, Ayotte said that since she took office, the state legislature has passed nearly 12 bills to assuage the housing crisis. She also said the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resiliency law was updated in February 2025. The update “streamlines private financing for energy-efficient developments and housing.”

Ayotte said funds from the Real Estate Transfer Tax and the American Rescue Plan Act have gone into the Affordable Housing Fund. She also defended the Housing Champion Program, maintaining that it has not been defunded.

Speaking about healthcare, Warmington said Ayotte has only compounded the healthcare cuts imposed by President Donald Trump, adding that she has doubled the cost of prescriptions for Medicaid patients.

“We need to reverse these cuts, they are going to devastate our healthcare system,” she said. “We need to stand up to Donald Trump.”

Ayotte fired back saying her administration has not implemented higher co-pays or insurance premiums for Medicaid patients.

“I want to preserve access in this state,” said Ayotte, adding that she included $10 million in the state budget for unpaid healthcare. “I know how important healthcare is.”

In addition, Ayotte said the state must help local hospitals fight the insurance companies and establish sustainable billing practices. She also said the Nashua ER on Amherst Street is “not good.”

Warmington said that in August, a coalition of 25 states filed a lawsuit against Trump for violating Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. New Hampshire was the only state in New England that did not join the coalition. Warmington said Ayotte’s decision caused New Hampshire to miss out on $81 million that could have been allocated to the state Health and Human Services Department.

“We need to ensure that every federal dollar stays in our state,” said Warmington. “This governor refuses to do that.”

In addition, Warmington said Ayotte never brought any Planned Parenthood contracts before the Executive Board. As a result, a clinic in Franconia was closed and another clinic in Canaan is in danger of closing.

Regarding education, Warmington said the Education Freedom Accounts are a “pickpocket scheme.”

“This is devastating to our public schools, we need to end that program,” she said.

In her response, Ayotte said the Freedom Accounts are funded at $51.6 million, which is less than one percent of the state budget.

She is also proposing the Community College Promise, which would allow students to attend community college for free provided that their annual income is below $100,000.