DON HOUSE
District 8 - Belmont / Sanbornton / Tilton
Mr. House is a candidate for State Rep.
Recommended
Mr. House is exceptionally qualified to be a state representative, and would bring a breadth of experience to the job. He is well versed on issues for Belknap County, and Citizens for Belknap recommends this candidate as reasonable and responsible.
Learn more below.
Don House is running for NH House in the floterial serving Belmont, Sanbornton, and Tilton.
He’s lived in the Lakes Region for 14 years and is now retired and a “full-time” volunteer. He is married, and has a son, a daughter and a granddaughter.
In his Citizens for Belknap questionnaire, Mr. House says he’s running, “ because my current district representatives don’t represent my values or respond to my emails. I’d like to see more people informed and involved in government decisions. I’m focused on the economy, the environment, fair elections, public education, and healthcare. As a retiree on a fixed income, I’m concerned about rising property taxes and inflation. I’m committed to find ways to lower property taxes.”
On his website, Mr. House lists his state and national priority issues, among which are changing laws to fight climate change, expanding mental health funding, and protecting LGBTQ+ and reproductive rights. He adds, “I will fight for lower property taxes, affordable healthcare, a healthier environment, better jobs and education, and fair elections.”
On county issues, he is a big supporter of Gunstock. He is an avid skier and has taught skiing and snowboarding at Gunstock and Loon, and like many other Belknap County citizens, Don was distressed by what happened with Gunstock Ski Area in 2022. He believes the Gunstock Area Commission should be a non-partisan group that serves as a board to guide and support Gunstock Management and not to micro-manage them, and that Gunstock should remain as a county asset and not be sold or leased. He would propose legislation to clarify the role of the Commissioners and the County delegation in Gunstock Operations.
Don has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Psychology. He completed a Master’s certificate in Program Management and was a certified Project Management Professional until he retired. He completed a black belt program in quality management. During his 30-year career in IT services Don worked in various roles: sales support, professional consultant, product and service manager, operations manager, strategic planning manager, and program manager.
He is President of the Board for Belknap House, the only family-centered shelter in Belknap County, providing safe shelter to children alongside educational programming and customized case management for parents.
As an adaptive ski and snowboard instructor at Gunstock, he helped veterans, autistic children, and the visually impaired. He is very active in his church and leads the worship committee, and active in the Civil Air Patrol.
From working with the homeless, Don gained an appreciation of how many of us are just a single catastrophic event --an illness, medical expense, car breakdown, or job loss-- from being homeless ourselves. This is why he supports affordable healthcare, public education, affordable housing, job training, paid family and medical leave, and a reasonably compensated workforce.
Mr. House is exceptionally qualified to be a state representative, and would bring a breadth of experience to the job. He is well versed on issues for Belknap County, and Citizens for Belknap recommends this candidate as reasonable and responsible.
In His Own Words . . .
Mr. House returned his Citizens for Belknap Questionnaire with these responses:
1. Why are you running, and what do you hope to achieve in the next legislative term?
I’m running because my current district representatives don’t represent my values or respond to my emails. I’d like to see more people informed and involved in government decisions. I’m focused on the
economy, the environment, fair elections, public education, and healthcare. As a retiree on a fixed income, I’m concerned about rising property taxes and inflation. I’m committed to find ways to lower
property taxes.
2. Assess the recent performance of Gunstock. If elected, would you keep it in the same direction or change course, and how?
Under Tom Day’s management, Gunstock has had its best years ever. I support county management ofthis area. I’m concerned how political the appointments to the Gunstock Commission have become. I think most of the new master plan has merit. However, I think they should invest in higher speed lifts and better grooming before expanding terrain behind the current mountain. As NH winters get warmer
they will need to quickly recover from swings in the weather.
3. Given budget constraints for the Belknap County Nursing Home, how would you stretch county taxpayer dollars and still meet our high standards of care?
I would pursue more state and federal funding for the County Nursing Home.
4. As a member of the Belknap County Delegation, how would you improve county hiring practices to attract the highest quality candidates for our nursing home, public safety and administrative positions?
I think the key to attracting quality candidates is to have competitive salaries and good management that are able to retain the quality staff.
5. Should Belknap County manage its own nursing home and county corrections departments, or privatize them? What about Gunstock Recreation Area/Gunstock Mountain Ski Area?
Privatization is not the way to go for any of these entities. It would just lead to higher costs and less local control. Privatization leads to some short-term reductions in taxes in exchange for a poorer future.
6. What are your ideas for the former 220-acre Laconia State School property?
The State School property should be used to provide affordable housing, commercial development, and green space. There is an opportunity to bring in new businesses and jobs through the commercial development. Part of it could be used for renewal energy sources such as a solar farm. Some of it should be devoted to parks and recreational activities.
7. What would you do as a State Representative to improve the opioid and drug problem in the region?
I think the organizations and programs that are currently addressing this issue are doing a good job. The key is to ensure that funding continues for these programs. I would advocate for state and federal
funding for the programs that are addressing this crisis.
8. What do you think is the most important skill of being a good State Rep, and why?
Listening is probably the most important skill followed by communication and the knowledge of how to get things accomplished in a government environment.
9. What do you see are the biggest needs of Belknap County, and what would you do to fill that need?
Some of the biggest challenges are an aging community, affordable housing, extremes in income (poverty and extreme wealth), attracting and retaining younger families, higher taxes, and higher costs.
I would advocate for more affordable housing and businesses that would attract younger families.
10. What percentage of your campaign funding comes from outside the county? How much from out of state?
I have only received one donation of $25 from out of state and don’t expect any more. This amounts to about 2% of my campaign expenses of which over 95% comes from the county.
11. Do you think our current county government should be smaller, larger, or stay the same?
I think it should stay the same.
12. What distinguishes you from the other candidates?
I think I have a diverse background of experiences I bring to the position. My leadership and communication skills help me work with all types of personalities.
13. What endorsements have you received?
So far, I’ve been endorsed by NEA. I’ve applied for AFL and Sierra Club endorsements and have received these previously.
14. How long have you lived in Belknap County?
15 years
About Don House
Don is running for state representative for the people in Belmont, Sanbornton, and Tilton because the current representatives don’t share his values or respond to his messages. He has lived in the Lakes Region for over 12 years. He is retired and enjoys many of the activities this region has to offer. He is an avid skier and has taught skiing and snowboarding at Gunstock and Loon.
Like many Belknap County skiers and voters, Don was distressed by what happened with Gunstock Ski Area this summer. He believes the Gunstock Area Commission should be a non-partisan group that serves as a board to guide and support Gunstock Management and not to micro-manage them. Gunstock should remain as a county asset and not be sold or leased. He would propose legislation to clarify the role of the Commissioners and the County delegation in Gunstock Operations.
Don is a family man. He has been married to his wife Shela for 40 years. Together they have a son, a daughter, and a granddaughter.
Don has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Psychology. He completed a Master’s certificate in Program Management and was a certified Project Management Professional until he retired. He completed a black belt program in quality management.
During his 30-year career in IT services Don worked in various roles: sales support, professional consultant, product and service manager, operations manager, strategic planning manager, and program manager.
Don is now a full-time volunteer. He is President of the Board for Belknap House, a family homeless shelter serving Belknap County. As an adaptive ski and snowboard instructor at Gunstock, he helped veterans, autistic children, and the visually impaired. He is very active in his church and leads the worship committee. He serves as a Mission Pilot as well as Emergency Services Officer and Education and Training Officer in the Civil Air Patrol.
From working with the homeless, Don gained an appreciation of how many of us are just a single catastrophic event --an illness, medical expense, car breakdown, or job loss-- from being homeless ourselves. This is why he supports affordable healthcare, public education, affordable housing, job training, paid family and medical leave, and a reasonably compensated workforce.
Don has worked on campaign finance reform and believes that Citizen’s United has tainted our political system with corporate money. He has worked with the Open Democracy Group and Rights and Democracy to improve our election process and ensure fair voting.
As a state representative, he will fight for workers by protecting worker’s rights and supporting competitive wages and benefits. He will listen to his constituents and bring more transparency to state government. Visit his website, www.donhouse.info , to learn more about his position on issues.
