Congressman Chris Pappas of New Hampshire “sharply criticized” his opponent’s record on LGBTQ and abortion rights at a forum hosted by New Hampshire Public Radio and the Granite State News Collaborative last Friday.
Reports the New Hampshire Bulletin:
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas sharply criticized his opponent’s record on abortion and LGBTQ rights Friday, while Republican Russell Prescott called on the incumbent to take down “negative” advertisements that he said misrepresented his record.
Those clashes were the tensest moments in the 1st Congressional District forum hosted by NHPR and the Granite State News Collaborative. Over the course of an hour, the two touched on the economy, immigration, and term limits – with Pappas emphasizing his bipartisan work in Washington and Prescott his plans to work toward a balanced federal budget if elected.
Pappas, who is seeking a fourth term, recalled that as a young state lawmaker he spoke against a bill that would have prohibited New Hampshire from recognizing out-of-state same-sex marriages. Prescott was the lead sponsor of that bill, he said.
“As a young person in New Hampshire, I was left wondering whether there was a space for me in this state,” said Pappas, who is gay. “And so I think that Russell has shown throughout this career that he’s out of step with New Hampshire.”
Prescott, a former executive councilor and state senator, said he is “fine” with gay marriage today and that Pappas has been “very gracious” to acknowledge his views have changed.
“That’s why I do call on you to bring down those negative ads that do not reflect my record,” Prescott said.
That clash extended to the issue of abortion. Prescott said he would not support any changes to abortion policy on a federal level, and he has said that the issue should remain with the states. He said that while serving on the Executive Council, he voted for judges that supported Roe v. Wade, and that in the state Senate, he voted on an amendment that would’ve upheld those protections in the state.
But Pappas said his opponent has “flip flopped on this more than Donald Trump has.”
“He’s trying to wordsmith something here, but he shouldn’t be let off the hook for the fact that he supports Dobbs,” Pappas said, referring to the U.S. Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade. “He supports overturning and taking away a woman’s right to choose in this country, and putting this power in the hands of politicians, as opposed to women.”
Read the complete New Hampshire Bulletin story here.
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