Longtime incumbent, former state senator square off for Executive Council District 5

Melanie Levesque and Dave Wheeler, candidates for the state's Executive Council, face off in a forum in the Antrim Town Hall on Wednesday.

Melanie Levesque and Dave Wheeler, candidates for the state's Executive Council, face off in a forum in the Antrim Town Hall on Wednesday. Ashley Saari / Monadnock Ledger-Transcript

By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY

Monitor staff

Published: 10-30-2024 11:09 AM

Two experienced public officials will compete for a seat on the Executive Council on Nov. 5.

The incumbent, Republican Dave Wheeler, will face Melanie Levesque, a former Democratic state senator who’s challenging him in the council’s fifth district, which includes Weare and Dunbarton.

Levesque said she will prioritize funding public services, while Wheeler said he is focused on keeping spending in check in what’s forecast to be a tighter state budget.

Here’s what to know about each candidate.

Dave Wheeler

Wheeler, who lives in Milford, has served seven nonconsecutive terms on Executive Council. Before that, he was a state senator from 1992 to 1998.

He pitches himself as a fiscal conservative, with his top priority for a potential next term on the council being to limit spending in a new state budget. With COVID relief funding running out, lawmakers have sounded the alarm for what appears will be a leaner budget in 2025.

“People have got accustomed to higher levels of spending,” Wheeler said. “We’re going to have to tighten the belt and make sure that the budget balances.”

He didn’t specify any areas or services that could see the chopping block – the ball is in the Legislature’s court for now, he said. Then, the council will “see what cards are dealt us.”

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Wheeler said he’ll also be prioritizing judicial confirmations.

“I will be looking for judges who will uphold the Constitution and not try to rewrite it,” Wheeler said.

He declined to say whether the council would ask for the resignation of Supreme Court Justice Anna Hantz Marconi, who was indicted earlier this month and accused of trying to interfere with a state investigation into her husband, the director of the state’s port authority. Wheeler maintained she’s innocent until proven guilty and said the council will consider its options depending on the outcome of the case.

Wheeler said he got involved in politics because, as a lifelong New Hampshire resident, he loves the state.

“Our taxes are relatively low, and our regulatory burden, compared to other states, is pretty good,” Wheeler said. “I want to keep it that way. I want to keep the Live Free or Die state and the New Hampshire advantage.”

Outside of the Executive Council, Wheeler owns two businesses: Maranatha Carpet & Construction and Miracle Acres Farm, where he grows Christmas trees and makes maple syrup and honey.

Melanie Levesque

Levesque, who’s lived in Brookline for the past 30 years, seeks to flip one of the Executive Council’s four Republican seats.

She grew up in Nashua and was the first African-American woman to serve in the New Hampshire state Senate before serving several terms as a state representative. She also owns a telecommunications consulting business, TCS of America Enterprises.

Levesque’s priorities are public education, transportation and access to reproductive care. She said she’d vote to approve funding for reproductive healthcare clinics and has expressed a desire to replace Frank Edelblut, the current education commissioner who’s drawn criticism from Democrats for championing the school choice voucher program.

Levesque said she was inspired to run when she saw Joyce Craig, the Democratic nominee for governor, speak at a campaign event. If Craig wins, Levesque previously told the Ledger-Transcript, she’ll need a “very strong” Executive Council to accomplish her agenda.

Levesque has her own budget concerns for the state and blamed New Hampshire’s decreased revenue partly on the Legislature’s repeal of the interest and dividends tax. Like Craig, she said it’s a tax break for the wealthy and its phase-out will leave a “hole” in the budget. However, she said that’s not up to her quite yet – it’s up to the Legislature to put the budget together.

“We’re going to be taking a loss next year, so as far as state funds are concerned, we would really have to scrutinize them,” Levesque said.

She also said she’ll explore solutions for affordable housing, including using available federal funds. When asked about other ways to tackle the issue, she said she’s not yet sure what initiatives will come before the council.

Overall, Levesque said she wants to continue being a public servant for New Hampshire and “be in a position where I can help our citizens thrive,” especially in regard to education and reproductive health. She also wants to focus on connecting with constituents.

“I think that is really important as well, to make sure that I am there and available when people need me,” Levesque said. “That’s when I am probably my happiest, when I can help somebody out. We have a lot of resources, and we can use those resources to help people that need it.”

The five-member council, created in 1679 to balance gubernatorial power, confirms the appointments of judges, commissioners, and notaries, and holds power over state finances by approving contracts over $10,000. It also considers criminal pardon requests. The fifth district includes much of Hillsborough County and the central southern portion of the state.