Save the Children Action Network endorses bipartisan slate of New Hampshire candidates committed to investing in kids 

“By prioritizing efforts to expand access to nutritious food and affordable care for children across New Hampshire, these candidates have earned our support.” 

Media Contact: Louisa Spofford (lspofford@savechildren.org) 

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE (September 12, 2024) – Today, Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) – the leading political voice for kids – is pleased to announce its endorsements of six candidates for the New Hampshire legislature and forthcoming in-state electoral activities in support of their campaigns.  

These candidates share a passion for ensuring that children across the Granite State have access to quality care and nutrition. SCAN recognizes the critical importance of these issues to voters in the state and is proud to support these champions who are dedicated to advancing the wellbeing of children and families. 

SCAN endorses the following bipartisan slate of candidates for election or reelection in New Hampshire:  

• Bill Marsh (D – NH Senate – District 3)  

• Senator David Watters (D – NH Senate – District 4)  

• Senator Denise Ricciardi (R – NH Senate – District 9) 

• Representative Ben Ming (D – NH Senate – District 12) 

• Senator Sharon Carson (R – NH Senate – District 14) 

• Pat Long (D – NH Senate – District 20) 
   

SCAN New Hampshire State Manager Megan Brabec said: “Our kids deserve a bright future, and that starts with access to early education, affordable quality care, and nutritious food. These are not partisan issues. We need to elect leaders who are willing to work across the aisle to understand the issues facing New Hampshire families and be a voice for kids.” 

In conjunction with the endorsement, Save the Children Action Network has additional efforts in place to support the election of these candidates who are committed to quality child care and nutrition across the state. These additional efforts include paid advertising campaigns, targeted voter mobilization across the state and candidate campaign contributions.  

Background 

Early childhood education builds a strong foundation for lifelong success. Without access to it, New Hampshire’s kids will be left behind. Nutritious food is also critical to growth and development, yet too many of children across the Granite State aren’t sure when their next meal is coming. That’s why New Hampshire’s children and families need legislators who champion early learning and work to end child hunger.    

SCAN’s bipartisan slate of endorsed candidates features strong advocates for improving child care, early education and nutrition across New Hampshire. These endorsements illustrate our commitment to shifting the dynamic in the state legislature to build a strong bench of early learning and child hunger prevention champions. 

Bill Marsh (D – NH Senate – District 3)  

• When serving in the House of Representatives, Dr. Marsh was an advocate for the closed loop referral system through which eligible individuals who qualify for one service are automatically referred to other services for which they’re eligible. 

• Marsh supports New Hampshire participating in Medicaid direct certification of students enrolled in Medicaid to receive free and reduced-cost meals.  

Senator David Watters (D – NH Senate – District 4) 

• Senator Watters has been a longtime champion for kids in Concord.  

• Watters supported last year’s Mom-nibus bill to extend Medicaid coverage for mothers, establish a commission to study voluntary home visiting and provide early childhood behavioral support, among other things. 

• Watters cosponsored the Hunger Free New Hampshire Act to improve children’s access to nutritious food.  

Senator Denise Ricciardi (R – NH Senate – District 9) 

• Senator Ricciardi co-sponsored the Hunger Free New Hampshire Act, a child nutrition omnibus bill that aimed to improve availability of free and reduced-price breakfasts and lunches and implement Summer EBT. 

• Senator Ricciardi cosponsored a bill to increase participation in free school meals by participating in Medicaid Direct Certification.  

Representative Ben Ming (D – NH Senate – District 12) 

• If elected for the state Senate, one of Representative Ming’s priorities would be to move towards universal pre-k to give all kids the chance to start kindergarten on the same footing. 

• Ming is an advocate for child nutrition. He supports New Hampshire participating in Medicaid direct certification and wants to close the gap between who is eligible and who is enrolled in SNAP. 

Senator Sharon Carson (R – NH Senate – District 14) 

• Senator Carson co-sponsored the Hunger Free New Hampshire Act, enrolling the state in the Summer EBT program. 

• Senator Carson has supported legislation to improve early childhood in New Hampshire, including the New Hampshire Working Families Act and the Mom-nibus bill. 

Representative Pat Long (D – NH Senate – District 20) 

• Representative Long supports the establishment of a child care workforce fund to finance the recruitment and retention of eligible child care employees.  

• Long supports improved access to child care scholarships for Granite State families. 

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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. Not authorized by a candidate. Christy Gleason, Chair, 899 North Capitol St. NE, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20002