My name is John Fitzgerald and  I’m running for State Representative in this November’s election.  I am a thirty year resident of New Hampshire, seventeen of them here in Bedford. I’m also a US Navy veteran, a retired air traffic controller, a union activist, certified arbitration advocate, father of two recent Bedford High school graduates and, most recently, a humanitarian aid worker in Poland and Ukraine.  

I’ve chosen this time to run for the State Legislature because I’m increasingly concerned by the persistent attacks on our democratic institutions and freedoms.   From Citizens United to Dobbs v. Jackson, our Constitutional rights are being watered down, dismantled and redefined by an activist, ideologically-driven Supreme Court that seems to think marriage equality; private, intimate conduct between consenting adults; family planning and bodily autonomy are issues which should be left to state legislatures to regulate.

 As Americans, we need to be secure in the knowledge that our rights are universal, that they travel with us across state lines and that they are not subject to the whims of a vocal, local minority.  The overturning of Roe v. Wade, with its implications far beyond those of abortion rights, is only the beginning.  At the close of it’s most recent term, the Court agreed to hear arguments in  Moore v. Harper, a case could allow state legislatures to appoint electors of their choosing in Presidential elections, irrespective of vote totals, executive veto or judicial review.  I believe that elections are best left to voters.

If these and other important Constitutional rights are to be thrown back to state legislatures for disposition, we need to ensure those legislatures are populated with individuals who will do all that is necessary to protect them. This is why I've chosen to run and why I need your support on November 8th.