Inflation and the cost of living topped the list of concerns for two Republican congressional hopefuls running for an open seat in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District at a forum Monday evening in Filene Auditorium.
“Most people tell me the number one issue for them is an inflation economy,” said Lily Tang Williams, of Weare. Everything costs more, she added, making it hard on working families, small businesses and seniors on fixed incomes.
Bill Hamlen ’84, of Hanover, sounded a similar alarm. “I’ve been up and down the state, from Canada to the Massachusetts border, in gas stations and general stores speaking to the voters, and I agree, the number one issue we face is inflation and the cost of living,” he said.
The candidates spoke to a crowd of about 65 people, plus those watching online, at the forum co-sponsored by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Dartmouth Conservatives. Tang Williams and Hamlen are among 13 Republicans hoping to succeed U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster ’78, D-N.H., who is retiring from Congress after six terms.
New Hampshire’s primary election is on Sept. 10.
In addition to Hamlen and Tang Williams, the candidates in the GOP primary are Tom Alciere of Hudson, Gerard Beloin of Colebrook, Michael Anthony Callis of Conway, Randall Clark of Hollis, Casey Crane of Nashua, Robert D’Arcy of Stoddard, William Harvey of Colebrook, Vikram Mansharamani of Lincoln, Jay Mercer of Nashua, Jason Riddle of Keene, and Paul M. Wagner of Danbury.
Candidates who filed a second-quarter campaign finance report with the Federal Election Commission by July 15 were invited to participate in the forum.
The two candidates who attended came armed with proposals to fight inflation. Hamlen supported increasing energy production, freezing federal spending at current levels and cutting “pork programs.”
“Here in New Hampshire, we live within our means,” said Hamlen, who added that “we need to send New Hampshire values down to D.C.” to restore the nation’s finances.
Tang Williams criticized the trend of Congress waiting until they had no choice but to pass sweeping omnibus bills and continuing resolutions.
“I would push for Congress to go back to its core job of coming up with (individual) appropriation budget bills and negotiate earlier,” she said.
Although they supported cutting spending, both candidates pledged to protect Medicare and Social Security.
Securing the border was another source of agreement, and Tang Williams shared some of her personal history as an immigrant from a difficult life in communist China.
“I’m very grateful for America,” she said. “It gave me tremendous freedom and opportunities to succeed.”
While Tang Williams supported streamlining the process for legal immigrants like herself who come to America and work hard, she said too many people here without legal permission cause chaos.
“We need to send a strong message to say we are a country of laws,” said Tang Williams, who supported a return to Trump-era border security policies.
Neither Tang Williams nor Hamlen would have voted for a bipartisan border bill that former President Donald Trump helped torpedo in the Senate earlier this year.
Hamlen called it “one of the worst bills I’ve ever read,” saying it would have let millions of undocumented immigrants into the country. Before we can look at immigration reform, Hamlen said, we need to secure the border using the army, building a wall, and hiring additional border guards.
“We need to do everything possible to secure that border,” he said.
When asked about abortion rights, Hamlen first urged compassion for all involved. He supported New Hampshire’s laws that allow abortion up until 24 weeks, calling it a common sense consensus that works for New Hampshire.
“I also agree with President Trump that this is fundamentally a states’ rights issue,” he said. “What’s right for California is different than what’s right for South Dakota.”
Tang Williams backed local control for abortion laws. Neither candidate supported any national legislation.
“I don’t understand the Democrats, who talk about democracy all the time, but they want to give the federal government more power to decide on this issue,” Tang Williams said.
In discussing aid to Ukraine and Israel, both candidates recognized the need for U.S. involvement but expressed concerns about funding oversight.
“We would like to support our allies,” Tang Williams said. “And we’d also like to ask the question, how are we going to pay for it?”
Hamlen called Russian President Vladimir Putin “evil,” but blamed President Joe Biden for allowing the invasion of Ukraine and attacks on Israel.
“I think the Biden administration’s waffling has emboldened our enemies,” said Hamlen, who urged a return to the Trump administration’s policies of “peace through strength and deterrence.”
The candidates had different approaches to combat rising college tuitions. Tang Williams wanted to move tax dollars from the federal to the state level, to stop subsidizing student loans, and to let the free market work to lower costs.
Hamlen, an economics major who became an energy trader, called himself a big advocate for education, but he opposed providing college students with benefits that blue collar workers had to pay for. He also suggested the federal government could play a role in overseeing college administration costs.
Both candidates said they could pass legislation with Democrats. Hamlen cited his time in the energy sector as a place he learned to work with adversaries.
“I think people are tired of the last eight years of rancor,” he said. “We need leaders that can work across the aisle and find compromise.”
Tang Williams said her business experience showed her how to get along with people from all walks of life.
“If we do disagree, I always say, hey, we just have to disagree respectfully,” she said.
John Coleman ’26, vice president of Dartmouth Conservatives, moderated the forum. He appreciated the substantive discussion as the candidates focused on issues instead of attacks.
“That was our goal, and I think we met it,” he said.
The Rockefeller Center, Dartmouth Democrats, and Hanover/Lyme Town Democrats hosted a forum with Democratic candidates Maggie Goodlander and Colin Van Ostern on Aug. 12.
