Candidates at Sandown forum back SAVE Act, diverge on how to fix health care and regulate AI

Moderated by Richard Brown, a candidates forum in Sandown drew U.S. Senate hopefuls and contenders for the 1st Congressional District to outline their priorities and answer audience questions.

The most consistent point across the night was support for the SAVE Act, federal legislation that would require proof of citizenship and a photo ID to vote. Melissa Bailey told the audience she supports the SAVE Act and said it would put all states ‘‘on the same playing field’’ as New Hampshire (Melissa Bailey). Brian Cole and other candidates said New Hampshire law is already strict but pledged to push national standards to protect election integrity (Brian Cole).

On the Senate side, Scott Brown framed his candidacy around his record of public service and national security experience and said he was ‘‘leaning towards’’ eliminating the filibuster if it became necessary to get legislation passed, arguing that the Senate must do the people’s business rather than leave the floor for fundraising (Scott Brown). Sununu warned that moving to a talking filibuster could allow a small group of senators to prolong debate for days and that changing rules in ways that would cripple the majority’s agenda would be counterproductive; he favored keeping a measured approach that protects the chamber’s deliberative function (Sununu).

Health care and affordability produced competing prescriptions. Holly Nowbletski, a nurse practitioner and business owner, urged allowing insurers to sell across state lines, billing transparency and expanded use of health savings accounts to increase consumer choice (Holly Nowbletski). Anthony De Lorenzo argued the Affordable Care Act should be substantially repealed and said the federal government should remove middlemen he blamed for driving up drug prices (Anthony De Lorenzo). Brian Cole emphasized lowering energy costs—he proposed expanding small modular nuclear reactors at Seabrook and removing New Hampshire from regional grids to reduce electric bills—and said cheaper energy would help household budgets (Brian Cole). Melissa Bailey repeatedly framed her approach around opposition to what she described as ‘‘reckless’’ federal spending and said she would prioritize affordability through market‑oriented changes (Melissa Bailey).

On artificial intelligence, candidates and senators favored national coordination rather than a patchwork of state rules. Sununu said the federal government should set a general framework to protect privacy, intellectual property and security while avoiding rules based on speculative predictions of future technology. He argued for a light, national approach that protects innovation and reduces conflicts among state regulations (Sununu). Scott Brown emphasized workforce training and energy concerns tied to AI deployment, saying communities will need job programs and grid upgrades if AI significantly increases electricity demand (Scott Brown). Several House candidates also raised concerns about political deepfakes and bias in AI systems and urged guardrails that protect children and civic discourse.

Foreign policy and national security topics included questions about Taiwan and China; Scott Brown cited the strategic importance of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and said the United States has commitments to help defend allies, noting his experience traveling to the region (Scott Brown). Candidates also expressed broad support for oversight of federal spending; several invoked a federal review effort discussed in the forum (transcribed as ‘‘DOGE’’) as a tool to find fraud and save money, while emphasizing the need for follow‑through and accountability (Holly Nowbletski, Brian Cole, Melissa Bailey).

Candidates closed by pressing voters to turn out. The moderator thanked the Sandown Police Department for security and invited attendees to stay for conversation and refreshments.

Why it matters: The forum highlighted areas of consensus—voter‑ID legislation and skepticism of expanded federal bureaucracy—alongside sharp differences over the role of federal regulation in health care and the judiciary and competing strategies for economic relief. Those differences will be central as the campaign moves toward the Republican primary and, for the general election, the wider electorate.