Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) during the final debate against Republican challenger Lily Tang Williams at WMUR-TV on Oct. 28. Courtesy photo/WMUR-TV

MANCHESTER – Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) and Republican challenger Lily Tang Williams recently faced off for the last time in the race for the Second Congressional District, making their arguments on housing, fuel costs, homelessness and gun control.

Regarding fuel prices, according to AAA, gasoline in New Hampshire is $4.20 per gallon and diesel is $6.36 per gallon.

Goodlander said the increased cost of fuel is directly linked to the War in Iran.

“We’ve got to end this war, we’ve similarly got to end the trade wars, the tariffs,” she said during the Oct. 28 debate hosted by WMUR-TV. “The affordability crisis is the crisis of our time.”

Tang Williams said the focus needs to be on developing more energy sources and negotiating with New York and Massachusetts to bring natural gas into New Hampshire.

Lily Tang Williams, the Republican challenger for the Second Congressional District, during the final debate against Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) at WMUR-TV on Oct. 28. Courtesy photo/WMUR-TV

After being approved in 2014, the Constitution Pipeline was cancelled six years later. The 125-mile pipeline would transport natural gas from Pennsylvania to upstate New York where it would connect with existing pipelines serving New England. However, New York officials continue to block the construction of a pipeline to New Hampshire.

“We’ve stopped building refineries since the 70s because people play politics and protest,” said Tang Williams.

She also called for the suspension of the Jones Act. The legislation regulates and protects shipping between American ports. It was sponsored in 1920 by Republican U.S. Sen. Wesley Jones of Washington state and was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson.

Speaking about housing, Tang Williams said zoning regulations must be updated and the unnecessary federal spending needs to stop.

“Because of inflation, everything is going to pass through the renters,” she said.

Goodlander touted the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on July 11. Spearheaded by Congressman French Hill (R-AR), the legislation is designed to bolster the housing stock, reduce construction costs and increase affordability.

Goodlander is also co-sponsoring the End Rent Fixing Act of 2025, which would “prohibit rental property owners from engaging in practices that manipulate or coordinate rental prices.”

Regarding homelessness, Goodlander emphasized the importance of mental healthcare.

“Make mental healthcare available to people all across our state,” she said. “What we’ve seen from this president and this Congress are the biggest cuts to healthcare in American history, which have made everybody’s lives worse and more expensive.”

Tang Williams said rehabilitation facilities need to be more flexible with individuals seeking help.

“After three months, they get thrown out,” she said. “People who are addicted to drugs need a longer time to recover.”

Speaking about gun control, Tang Williams offered her sympathy to anyone living with the trauma of a school shooting.

Most recently, three students and one teacher were killed during the Oct. 15 shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore. Another teacher and student sustained critical injuries.

However, Tang Williams said she will continue to defend the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Americans the right to bear arms.

“To infringe on people’s gun rights, it’s never the right answer,” she said. “I survived Communism, I treat that right very dearly.”

Goodlander said Congress must close the loopholes in the nation’s gun laws, have more in-depth background checks and hold the large gun corporations accountable.

“The gun industry has been given a blank check and total immunity,” she said. “No kid should have to go to school and be fearful that they’re going to be shot dead.”

Having served in the U.S. Navy for 11 years, Goodlander knows the power of military-grade weapons.

“Weapons of war have no place in our communities, they have no place in our schools,” she said.

In response, Tang Williams maintained that guns are not the enemy, adding that gun laws and background checks already exist.

“It’s the wrong answer, we are a constitutional carry state,” she said.

As of Oct. 22, Goodlander has 54 percent of the vote while Tang Williams has 38 percent, according to the Saint Anselm College Survey Center.