Lawmakers Hold Storied History of Expanding Early Learning Opportunities and Tackling Child Hunger 

September 6, 2022 – Today, Save the Children Action Network, the leading political voice for children, proudly endorsed seven candidates for state Senate. These candidates have strong records and enthusiasm for policies that tackle the most pressing issues facing New Hampshire’s children like early learning opportunities and hunger. 

Save the Children Action Network endorsed the following candidates for election/reelection in New Hampshire: 

• Edith Tucker  (NH Senate – District 1)  
• David Watters (NH Senate – District 4)
• Denise Ricciardi (NH Senate – District 9)
• Melanie Levesque (NH Senate – District 12)
• Sharon Carson  (NH Senate District 14)
• Becky Whitley (NH Senate – District 15)
• Christine Tappan (NH Senate – District 17)

“This bipartisan slate of candidates includes fighters for New Hampshire’s children and Save the Children Action Network is pleased to endorse their candidacies. Together, these leaders will continue to combat child hunger and expand early childhood education opportunities throughout New Hampshire. Our children and families cannot thrive without strong leaders like Melanie Levesque, Christine Tappan, Edith Tucker, David Watters, Denise Ricciardi, Sharon Carson and Becky Whitley,” said Save the Children Action Network’s New Hampshire Director, Lindsay Hanson. 

Early childhood education is the key to lifelong success; it builds a critical foundation. Without it, New Hampshire’s kids will be left behind their peers. New Hampshire’s children and families need legislators who champion early learning opportunities and work to end child hunger. SCAN’s endorsement of these candidates illustrates our commitment to shifting the dynamic in the New Hampshire legislature to ensure all children have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive in the Granite State. 

Background

Save the Children Action Network has taken this action because of the critical need for advancing robust policy that will ensure all children in New Hampshire have the opportunity to build a strong educational foundation for life, opening opportunities to further learn, grow and thrive, regardless of their zip code or financial situation. 

Edith Tucker’s (D- NH Senate District 1) Record: 

• Has demonstrated over her three terms in the New Hampshire State House a consistent and strong voting record in support of early childhood education. 
• Believes it is essential to expand access to New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services child care scholarship. This program supports working families across the Granite State to gain access to quality child care, ensuring that children can learn and grow regardless of their zip code.

David Watters’ (D- NH Senate District 4) Record: 

• Lead sponsorship of a vast variety of SCAN’s top priority legislation over several years including: 
  • Co-sponsored a bill (SB 326) supporting a plan to create the office of early childhood.
  • Supported re-establishing the special nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), by co-sponsoring SB 403. 

Denise Ricciardi’s (R- NH Senate District 9) Record: 

• Cares deeply about child nutrition and expanding access to food programs like WIC SNAP.   
• Supports increasing opportunities for children to ensure everyone has a strong foundation for life, regardless of their zip code or financial situation. 

 Melanie Levesque’s (D- NH Senate District 12) Record: 

• Understands all children deserve quality educational opportunities, regardless of their family’s income or zip code. 
• Strongly supports early childhood education opportunities and child nutrition programs. 
• Supports increasing wages for the child care workers – the people New Hampshire families depend upon and put their full trust behind to ensure their children have a strong start in the classroom.  
• Knows how the statehouse works – Melanie Levesque served three years in the New Hampshire State House before being elected to the state Senate in 2018 and serving one term. 

Sharon Carson’s (R- NH Senate District 14) Record: 

• Co-sponsored legislation which directed the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a strategic plan to foster sustainable child care opportunities for working families and businesses as well.  
• Over the course of her 12 years of experience serving in the state Senate, Sharon Carson knows how to deliver results for children across the Granite state. 

Becky Whitley’s (D- NH Senate District 15) Record: 

• Lead sponsorship on every single one of SCAN’s priority bills this year – demonstrating her commitment to fighting for children. 
• Supported increasing access to SNAP and WIC, making food more accessible to families across the state. 
• Took action to expand access to the child care scholarship, helping working families with quality child care. 

Christine Tappan’s (D- NH Senate District 17) Record:

• Has a long history of supporting children throughout her career – serving as New Hampshire’s Association Commissioner for the Department of Health and Human Services, where she spearheaded the agency’s training and quality improvement and worked as a child welfare specialist. 
• Led the establishment of the statewide Child Care Collaborative – a public, private and non-profit collaboration with the goal of maintaining a safe, operational and responsive child care system. 

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Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) was created in 2014 as the political advocacy arm of Save the Children, to be the political voice for kids. We work to ensure that the issues critical to children’s lives and futures are given top priority by our elected leaders, building bipartisan support to make sure every child has a strong start in life.

Learn more about SCAN here: https://savethechildrenactionnetwork.org/ 

Paid for by Save the Children Action Network and not authorized by any candidate.