The Granite State GOP Extremists We've Got to Beat: What's at Stake in the New Hampshire 2022 Election

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As MAGA extremism has become the status quo of the Republican Party, the GOP has put its support behind increasingly dangerous and outrageous state legislative candidates across the country.

New Hampshire is home to a number of Republican candidates who are determined to attack abortion rights and public schools while refusing to enact commonsense gun reforms that could save thousands of lives. These current and potential legislators are not afraid to speak their minds – even when that means pedaling prejudice, misogyny, and misinformation. 

Here are a few of these extremists on the ballot in New Hampshire this fall, who are representative of the MAGA candidates running across the country – and how Democrats can stop them. 

New Hampshire’s worst of the worst

Kevin Avard, NH SD-12

Kevin Avard is a current New Hampshire senator from Nashua. He is running for reelection to keep pushing his far-right agenda – including policies to diminish reproductive rights, weaken gun safety regulations, and restrict who has access to state resources. 

This November, Avard is running against Democrat Melanie Levesque, New Hampshire’s first Black senator who spent four terms in the General Court fighting to protect abortion access, expand health care options, and champion economic prosperity. 

Gary Daniels, NH SD-11

Gary Daniels has spent more than twenty years in the New Hampshire General Court working to pass legislation that significantly reduces public school funding, strips access to reproductive health care and makes communities less safe by failing to pass commonsense gun safety policies. Bills that Daniels has sponsored and passed during his time in both the House and Senate were initially drafted by an organization whose work has been described as “wish lists” for special interest groups. 


This November, Daniels is running against former senator Shannon Chandley, who is ready to return to the General Court to protect abortion rights, fully fund public schools, and ensure every New Hampshirite has the resources they need to thrive.

Lou Gargiulo, NH SD-24

Louis “Lou” Gargiulo is a former state representative from Hampton Falls who lost in his 2020 bid for the New Hampshire Senate and is running again. Though he attempts to market himself as a moderate, Gargiulo’s record of misogynistic statements and unwavering support for Donald Trump hints at the extremism of his politics. From restricting abortion rights, opposing LGBTQ+ freedom, and championing unrestricted gun ownership, Lou has shown himself to be a parrot of the right’s most extreme positions.

Carrie Gendreau, NH SD-1

Carrie Gendreau is running for the New Hampshire Senate. Gendreau is eager to push her extreme conservative agenda in a number of policy areas – from gutting reproductive rights to injecting religion into government to championing sending public money to private schools.

This November, Gendreau is running against Democratic Representative Edith Tucker, an experienced legislator who is pro-choice, pro-public schools, and committed to improving the lives of everyday Granite Staters. 

Combating GOP Extremism

MAGA Republicans hell-bent on taking away our rights are not unique to New Hampshire, and there are state Democrats across the country standing against the same extremist policies and rhetoric. But together, we can stop them. That’s why the DLCC has put together the Combating GOP Extremism slate — 18 state candidates running against some of the worst GOP extremists.

As right-wing extremism, MAGA militants, and Christian nationalists continue to take over the Republican Party, it’s critical that state Democrats are there to fight for our fundamental freedoms and preserve our democracy.

Abortion bans, gun violence, and anti-LGBTQ bills affect millions of lives – and their outcome will be largely decided by the legislators sent to statehouses across the country this November. These are the stakes in these highly competitive races, and these 18 Democrats need your help to win