Susan Kane (New Hampshire)
Susan Kane (Democratic Party) ran for election to the New Hampshire House of Representatives to represent Hillsborough 27. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Kane completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Susan Kane was born in Newtown, Connecticut. She served in the U.S. Air Force. Kane earned an associate degree from the University of Maryland and a graduate degree from Southern New Hampshire University. Her career experience includes working as a business consultant.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: New Hampshire House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough 27
Mary Murphy defeated Susan Kane in the general election for New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough 27 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Mary Murphy (R) | 59.4 | 1,336 |
![]() | Susan Kane (D) ![]() | 40.6 | 912 |
Total votes: 2,248 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough 27
Susan Kane advanced from the Democratic primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough 27 on September 10, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Susan Kane ![]() | 99.2 | 384 |
Other/Write-in votes | 0.8 | 3 |
Total votes: 387 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough 27
Mary Murphy advanced from the Republican primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough 27 on September 10, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Mary Murphy | 99.2 | 475 |
Other/Write-in votes | 0.8 | 4 |
Total votes: 479 | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kane in this election.
2022
See also: New Hampshire House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough 27
Karen Reid defeated Susan Kane in the general election for New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough 27 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Karen Reid (R) | 55.5 | 1,032 |
![]() | Susan Kane (D) | 44.4 | 827 | |
Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 2 |
Total votes: 1,861 | ||||
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If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough 27
Susan Kane advanced from the Democratic primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough 27 on September 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Susan Kane | 99.2 | 261 |
Other/Write-in votes | 0.8 | 2 |
Total votes: 263 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough 27
Karen Reid advanced from the Republican primary for New Hampshire House of Representatives Hillsborough 27 on September 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | ![]() | Karen Reid | 98.7 | 456 |
Other/Write-in votes | 1.3 | 6 |
Total votes: 462 | ||||
![]() | ||||
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. |
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Susan Kane completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kane's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Collapse all
|Now, I am running to restore those freedoms for our children and grandchildren and to give back to the state and country that helped me thrive.
I am an Elected member of the Francestown Planning Board, a Trustee of the George H. Bixby Library, and I am active in several committees, including the Community Power Initiative.- I am dedicated to defending and strengthening public education in New Hampshire because it is the foundation of our democracy and future. Despite historically low state funding, our schools persevere thanks to dedicated educators. However, Education Freedom Accounts divert taxpayer money to private and religious schools, threatening public education quality. The reliance on local property taxes places an unfair burden on homeowners, and cutting education spending is short-sighted. I advocate for reforming school funding to ensure fair, equitable state support and reduce the tax burden, investing in every child’s future.
- Protecting reproductive rights, including access to safe and legal abortion, is essential for personal freedom, gender equality, and the right to make decisions about one’s body and future. These rights ensure individuals can plan their families, careers, and lives without government interference.
- I champion fiscal responsibility and aim to reduce the financial burden on property owners and towns. I believe in building prosperity for New Hampshire through strategic investments, not just cutting budgets. We need a balanced approach that fosters growth while maintaining essential services for all.
Additionally, I'm deeply concerned about addressing climate change and making healthcare more affordable, as these affect our community's well-being and future.
Officials must also demonstrate empathy and a commitment to serving all members of the community. Recent actions by New Hampshire Republicans that have been seen as lacking empathy toward low-income residents include their opposition to expanding Medicaid and healthcare access. In 2022 and 2023, they opposed measures aimed at broadening access to affordable healthcare and rejected proposals to increase funding for essential services like public housing and education assistance, both of which disproportionately affect low-income families. Additionally, Republicans have pushed for cuts to social programs while advocating for tax breaks that primarily benefit wealthier residents, exacerbating income inequality.
Bipartisanship and Compromise: Since New Hampshire’s state legislature is often closely divided between parties, the governor and legislators must work across the aisle to find common ground on issues like the state budget, healthcare, and education.
Open Communication: The governor and legislative leaders should maintain open lines of communication, ensuring that priorities, concerns, and proposed policies are shared transparently. This open dialogue keeps everyone informed and involved in the decision-making process.
Respect for Separation of Powers: While the governor can influence legislation through vetoes, budget proposals, and public advocacy, there should be respect for the legislature’s role in lawmaking. Similarly, the legislature should respect the governor’s executive authority. A recent example of the New Hampshire governor, Chris Sununu, not respecting the state legislature occurred when he vetoed a bill designed to increase transparency in the state’s rulemaking process. The bill, supported by a Republican-led legislature, aimed to formalize the use of public comments in rulemaking, but Sununu's unexpected veto raised concerns about undermining legislative efforts to ensure more transparent governance. This action was seen as disregarding bipartisan legislative work to improve governance.
Furthermore, the recent phase-out of the Interest and Dividends Tax, which primarily benefits high-income residents, has also reduced state revenue. This reduction in state income worsens the strain on property owners and the reliance on property taxes to fund essential services such as public education. Without sufficient revenue, New Hampshire will likely face growing difficulties in addressing critical issues like the housing shortage and the funding of Medicaid, which will lead to further economic challenges laid at the feet of the middle class. And it will create further cuts to services, like public education and affordable housing programs that power our true path forward to economic growth.
Familiarity with Constituent Needs: Public service experience often involves direct engagement with the community, allowing legislators to develop a deeper understanding of the issues and challenges faced by their constituents. This helps them advocate more effectively on behalf of the people they represent.
Problem-Solving Skills: Public service roles typically require managing complex issues and balancing competing interests, skills that are transferable to legislative work. Experienced public servants are better equipped to address local problems and propose practical solutions.
Ethical Leadership and Accountability: Public servants are held to high ethical standards, which helps legislators develop a sense of accountability, transparency, and commitment to serving the public interest—qualities that are essential in political leadership.
Collaboration and Communication: Previous roles in public service often involve working with diverse groups, including government agencies, non-profits, and community organizations. This experience enhances legislators' ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, and build consensus with colleagues and stakeholders.
Insight into Government Operations: Public servants gain firsthand knowledge of how government programs and services function. This insight is invaluable for legislators when overseeing government agencies, shaping policy, and allocating resources in ways that improve efficiency and effectiveness.
These relationships enhance legislative effectiveness by helping secure co-sponsors, votes, and key committee assignments. They also provide access to expertise in various policy areas, enabling better-informed decisions and proposals. Experienced colleagues can offer guidance on navigating procedural hurdles and refining legislation.
Strong networks foster regional cooperation, allowing representatives to collaborate on shared challenges like infrastructure and economic development. Relationships with fellow legislators strengthen advocacy efforts, making it easier to rally support for district needs. Additionally, these relationships promote long-term success and stability, offering opportunities for leadership roles and continued influence within the legislature.
I admire the work she has done, and in particular:
Environmental Advocacy: Promoting recycling and sustainable practices.
Education: Protecting public school funding and improving food/nutrition programs.
Healthcare Reform: Advocating for affordable and accessible healthcare.
Education, which deals with education policy and school funding, and Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs.
The risk is that these initiatives could be used to undermine public education, weaken environmental protections, and dismantle key social services that many New Hampshire residents rely on. While I support democratic engagement, we must ensure that the process is transparent and not hijacked by extremist groups. Our laws should serve the common good, not the narrow interests of a radical few.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2022
Susan Kane did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 4, 2024