With election day around the corner, voters of New Hampshire will be voting for candidates in the Gubernatorial Election, Senate Election, and State Representative Election in November. Candidates have been campaigning for their positions, including Saint Anselm first-year student James Thibault, who’s running for State Representative. 

Politics major James Thibault ‘28 is a resident of Franklin, NH, and his “district is Franklin and Northfield,” Thibault said. He remarks, “It’s two districts that together have enough excess voters to justify another seat in the House to represent both districts.” For his candidacy for State Representative, Thibault is taking part in the “convolute system” to represent his home districts, he stated. 

“I’ve been involved with New Hampshire politics for the last four years or so,” Thibault said, and he has “served on the New Hampshire Legislative Youth Advisory Council.” Thibault’s involvement with NH politics has led him to bring his concerns about policies regarding youth education to the state level, and drove him to get further immersed. 

Thibault’s prior success in NH politics have landed him in the race for State Representative, with newfound success in his candidacy. “I think it’s been very positive, and the response has been very good,” Thibault said. Striving for a seat in the House, Thibault has been “out door knocking and interacting with the community as much as [he] can.” 

Though Thibault has found positivity in his campaign, he admitted that “the primary was a challenge.” Thibault remarks, “I think my opponent [Brandon Stevens] put up a very good campaign and I respect him for that.” Through challenges, Thibault has found that “ultimately, what it shows is that nothing beats community engagement.” 

Thibault’s success in the campaign process is seen through a win by “68 votes, which is about 5.2%, and there were a total of 1400 votes cast or so.” As a result, Thibault says, “I think I can attribute that to the fact that I’ve been out in the community.” 

“You’re not running for the money…it’s really to serve your community and represent them,” Thibault states. 

Following his success in the primary, Thibault is feeling confident for the General Election. “I feel pretty good, [and] I think that my community will think that a new fresh face in Concord will be better for them,” Thibault said. With a sense of community ingrained in him for as long as he has lived in New Hampshire, “representing them will be an honor.”

Regardless of the results in the race, the campaign, as well as the election processes, “has been very educational,” Thibault said, giving him a “better appreciation for everything that everyone in both municipalities does for the community.” 

Outside of the race for State Representative, Thibault has been closely following the gubernatorial race for the Governor of New Hampshire. Candidates Joyce Craig, winner of the Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire is racing against Kelly Ayotte, winner of the Republican primary for Governor of New Hampshire. 

As winners of the primaries and the General Election are on their way, Thibault believes, “I think it’s a lot tighter than people were expecting.” He observes, “People, especially going into this, thought that Kelly would be the favorite because she is well known across the state and she’s a former senator and endorsed by Sununu.”

“I think a lot of people are surprised by the fact that she is running so tight with Joyce Craig,” Thibault said, “and I think that has to do with the number of negative ads that have been put out against her.” 

“I think this election is really going to come down to turnout and how many people actually like what Joyce Craig has done to Manchester, versus what Kelly Ayotte can bring to the corner office,” Thibault said. Regardless of the race, casting a vote matters whether it is being cast for one candidate or the other.

For the local and New Hampshire state elections, Thibault believes that “those are the elections that really should matter more to people” because “the issues that really impact people the most happen at the state and local levels.” 

“I think there is a civic illiteracy that exists in our culture,” Thibault said, and making an informed vote, whether it is at the local, state, or national level, is a crucial aspect of casting a vote. Researching policies and values of candidates is an important step of making an informed vote, “and I don’t think voting for the sake of voting is a good thing,” Thibault said. 

Whether you’re a resident of New Hampshire or not, keep your eyes peeled for the NH election results in a couple weeks.