Executive Council District 2 candidates united on Planned Parenthood funding, split over trans athletes in school sports

Democrat Karen Liot Hill will take on Republican Kim Strathdee for Executive Council District 2

Democrat Karen Liot Hill will take on Republican Kim Strathdee for Executive Council District 2

Karen Liot Hill

Karen Liot Hill Courtesy photograph

Kim Strathdee (Courtesy photograph)

Kim Strathdee (Courtesy photograph)

By SRUTHI GOPALAKRISHNAN

Concord Monitor

Published: 10-29-2024 5:31 PM

In a race for a seat on New Hampshire’s Executive Council, both Democrat Karen Liot Hill and Republican Kim Strathdee have found common ground on a key issue — funding for Planned Parenthood.

Living without health insurance years ago, Strathdee found a lifeline in Planned Parenthood, which provided her with essential healthcare services like breast exams and gynecological tests.

“I think Planned Parenthood is essential for our young women,” said Strathdee. “I do not have a problem signing contracts with Planned Parenthood.”

Hill and Strathdee are competing for the District 2 seat left by the only Democrat on the five-member council, Cinde Warmington of Concord. The council plays a crucial role in overseeing state contracts, managing spending, and balancing the governor’s power.

In recent years, council decisions have become more politically charged, especially concerning funding cuts to Planned Parenthood, a national provider of sexual and reproductive health care, offering low-cost or free services such as STI testing, cancer screenings, birth control, abortion, and gender-affirming care.

Hill, a 19-year city councilor from Lebanon, absolutely agrees that women’s health should not be a partisan issue.

“The Republican majority on the Executive Council has been voting to defund Planned Parenthood and the family planning contracts over the last few years,” said Hill. “It should be restored, and that’s definitely a main priority for me.”

In her fourth bid for a council seat, Strathdee is also focusing on addressing New Hampshire’s housing crisis, an issue that many candidates are prioritizing. Both she and her opponent have distinct strategies for tackling this challenge.

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Strathdee, who currently lives in a manufactured home in Plymouth, N.H., believes the focus should first be on repurposing abandoned buildings into housing options rather than jumping straight into raw land development. Hill said she is eager to explore the development of some state-owned land throughout New Hampshire.

She wants to look at properties that could be ideal for building much-needed workforce housing and aims to replicate Lebanon’s approach, which involves allowing small developments to be built on city-owned land.

Apart from improving funding for public education and investing in clean energy, Hill said she would like to se the federal resources available to New Hampshire maximized for various essential programs, including housing, childcare and food assistance like SNAP benefits.

“Making sure that we are using all of the dollars available to us from the federal government is really important,” said Hill.

Strathdee also focuses on infrastructure, particularly the maintenance of bridges and dams, and increasing funding in the northern part of the state. 

If elected to the executive council, Strathdee promises to prioritize accessibility, ensuring she is always available to listen to her constituents’ concerns and needs.

“I will return their call. I will be open and accessible,” said Strathdee. “I’ll never promise that I know all the answers, but when I learn the situation, I’ll find an answer.”

The candidates diverge sharply on another contentious issue that is unlikely to fall under the council’s purview — the participation of transgender athletes in school sports. This divide became especially pronounced following a protest by Bow parents at a recent soccer game in September, where a transgender athlete competed on a girls’ team.

Hill, whose daughter is a transgender person, expressed her outrage at the events in Bow, N.H., calling them appalling.

“Bullying is wrong,” said Hill. “Adults should not be bullying children.”

Hill said that having women in politics ensures that discussions focus on serious issues affecting all families, not just a select few. She was specifically referencing legislation concerning transgender athletes that affects only a handful of children in the state.

However, Strathdee said that individuals assigned male at birth who transition to female should not compete on girls’ teams.

“I don’t feel it’s fair for that person under any circumstances to be on the field with the women,” said Strathdee. “I think there are other ways to go about it without making anybody feel uncomfortable.”

Strathdee suggested that creating inclusive intramural teams could be a viable solution.