David John PreecePrimary Election 2022 WinnerGeneral Election 2022 Winner
Running forState Representative - Hillsborough 17 (Ward 2)
in 2022
Running as Democrat
Hello. I’m a seventy-year-old man who believes in basic truths: science is real, women’s rights are human rights, black lives matter, no human is illegal, good child care and public education are essential, diversity makes us stronger, love is love, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, and kindness is everything. I am a proud democrat who believes in democracy and the rule of law and is willing to reach across the aisle, to find common ground with my opponents.
Working as an urban planner, I have served local, county, regional, and state government officials for over forty-four years, both elected and appointed. I have worked in Utah, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Washington D.C., New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New Hampshire.
Current jobWriter and artist
I served as the Executive Director and CEO of the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission from December 2004-2017. Before Southern New Hampshire, I worked as a planner in the public and private sector in San Francisco, New York City, Washington D.C., Beloit, Wisconsin, and Park City, Utah. During my forty-four years of regional and urban planning, I have worked in many parts of the county and received several awards for my leadership and contribution to planning. At the end of my planning career, the National Association of Regional Councils awarded me the Walter Scheiber Leadership Award.
Current residenceManchester, NH
Time lived in NHEighteen years
HometownI was born and grew up in Pleasant View, Utah, a small farming community north of Ogden.
1984 University of Wisconsin Madison, Doctorial Candidate and Master of Urban and Regional Planning
1977 University of Utah, Postgraduate work, Civil Engineering, and Public Administration
1975 Western Kentucky University, Master of Public Service, City, and Regional Planning
1974 Weber State College, Bachelor of Science, Pre-Medicine, and Chemistry
If elected or re-elected, please describe legislation you expect to sponsor or co-sponsor.
Protect our democracy and voting rights
- Promote housing affordability
- Support full funding of public education
- Ensure affordable childcare
- Support access to affordable health care, including safe and legal reproductive health care
- Ensure a comprehensive transportation system that includes bus and rail transit.
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Secure New Hampshire’s Economic Prosperity.
What are the most important concerns you’ve heard from Manchester residents and how can you address those concerns if elected or re-elected?
These are the concerns that I have heard:
- Access to voting, especially for working families
- Insufficient affordable housing
- Full funding of public education
- Affordable child care
- Access to affordable health care, including safe and legal reproductive health care
- Lack of rail transit.
- Climate change
- Lack of economic opportunities
- Need for more responsible and reasonable gun legislation
New Hampshire legislators are citizen legislators and being a legislator is a significant time commitment. How much time per week can you spend on legislative duties while the Senate/House is in session?
As long as it takes.
How do you feel the current divisive political climate in the United States will impact the New Hampshire General Court over the next two years and how would you navigate that divisiveness in your duties?
I am concerned about the current divisive political climate in the United States and New Hampshire. But, if elected, I will navigate through the divisiveness and back to our fundamental values, focusing on policies that help the people of Manchester and all of our communities. Policies that expand the rule of law to provide fairness, protection, and respect for everyone, support sound public education, offer greater innovation opportunities and promote civility and faith in our democracy. I will fight for these policies that embrace American, New Hampshire, human values and ideals to make N.H. better than ever.
What is the most significant issue facing Manchester residents at the municipal level and how can you, as a legislator aid the city government on that issue?
I believe that children are our future. Therefore, I support full funding for public education, providing affordable child care, and accessible and affordable community college and higher education in Manchester.
In your conversations with voters, what is the most significant issue to them right now? How would you address that if elected or re-elected?
Homelessness – the lack of affordable housing and health care. Crime – the need for more responsible and reasonable gun legislation.
In your opinion, what were the five most significant pieces of legislation introduced over the last two years? Please explain what made them significant.
It is a tough one because so many pieces of legislation passed by our legislature and signed by our governor have attacked our democracy.
HB 1178 – Prevent National Common Sense Gun Laws from being implemented in N.H. – red-flag laws, background checks, and age limits.
HB 542 – Override nondiscrimination protection for LGBTQ+
under the guise of religious liberty.
SB 418 – Disenfranchising voters by undermining access to voting, complicating same-day voter registration, jeopardizing military ballots, and risking NH FITN Primary.
HB 544 (Ended in the budget) – Force a confusing banned concepts law in our budget that punishes teachers for teaching about race and gender discrimination.
HB 1671 – Removes arts, P.E., computer science, foreign languages, and engineering from the definition of an adequate education.
H.B. 20 (Ended in the budget) – Dismantling public education by taking funds from public schools and into private and religious schools by creating an expensive school voucher program with no accountability and that will increase property taxes.
