Republican candidate Karoline Leavitt faced off against incumbent Chris Pappas at a congressional debate hosted by the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce on October 25, 2022.  

The central issue in this debate was policy impact on the economy, especially effects on small businesses and homes in New Hampshire. Both candidates addressed inflation as the most important economic issue today.

Leavitt explained how $5.5 trillion worth of spending in the last five years has led to this issue stating her goal is to “fight to pass a truly balanced budget in DC as we have done at local and state level.” She also criticized Pappas’ involvement in the Inflation Act, saying that it has increased inflation and that spending more money is not the solution to inflation. “In 2018 inflation was 2.4% and today it’s 8.2%. Democratic administration has worsened costs, we need to go back to policies that reduce government and taxes to unleash the might of our economy,” said Leavitt.

Pappas fired back defending the Inflation Act as a balanced approach to lowering costs. He emphasized the need for bipartisan support of an all-around energy plan to reduce costs. “We need an energy strategy that is looking beyond drilling today to what kinds of energy resources we can use in the future,” said Pappas.

Other important topics at the debate were labor shortage, housing crisis, visas, and education systems. Pappas believes in federal funding for Pell grants and apprenticeship programs, as well as capping the rate that people pay for childcare so that they can afford to work, “If we want to build a workforce for tomorrow we need housing and childcare affordable,” said Pappas. Leavitt argued in favor of setting better standards for schools, an increased partnership between community colleges and high schools, as well as less government intervention with more involvement of parents in the education system.

Both candidates maintained the position that more visas for immigrants to work legally in the United States are necessary for improving the workforce. Leavitt criticized the current administration for capping the number of work visas available while there are millions of illegal immigrants in the nation.

The issue of border security was a notable factor in the discussion of the opioid epidemic. Leavitt said that an open southern border crisis has led to a 50% increase in Fentanyl overdoses that Pappas has not helped. She argued in favor of stricter border security and supporting law enforcement to stop the flow of illegal drugs. Pappas argued that he has worked to support efforts to reduce the flow of drugs and emphasized the importance of staying ahead of the cartels. Additionally, he spoke in favor of federal support for community programs focused on treatment and recovery.

Moderator Scott Spradling gave each candidate the opportunity to “set the record straight” on an economic or business issue that has been mischaracterized. Leavitt defended her policy positions, saying, “it's not extreme to want to put families first and to unleash the might of our own economy and energy production.” Pappas fired back, asserting that her views are extreme. “It's extreme to want to overturn the democratic process in our country, to privatize social security, to not trust women with choices over their own bodies,” stated Pappas.

The two candidates being diametrically opposed were clear from their opening statements to their final words. Leavitt called Pappas a “bipartisan problem creator” in her opening remarks and said “we literally cannot afford to have Pappas in office” during her closing remarks. From the beginning, Pappas called Leavitt “the most radical candidate we have seen.” During his final statement, he said, “Leavitt is an election denier who supports privatized social security and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.”

Just days away, both candidates and all of New Hampshire await election day on November 8. Leavitt and Pappas will be on the ballot for NH congressional district 1 (CD-1), which includes Saint Anselm College. The latest poll by the Saint Anselm College Survey Center shows Leavitt at 46%-44% favorability and Pappas at 44%-51%.