New Hampshire US House hopefuls offer gun violence solutions in back-to-back debates

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Candidates seeking to fill an open seat in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District offered a range of solutions to address gun violence Wednesday, hours after a 14-year-old student killed four people at a Georgia high school.

Republicans Bill Hamlen, Vikram Mansharamani and Lily Tang Williams and Democrats Maggie Goodlander and Colin Van Ostern met for back-to-back debates at New England College ahead of Tuesday’s primary. They’re seeking their respective party nominations for a chance to replace U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, a six-term Democrat who is not seeking reelection.

The first question for both groups was about the shooting deaths of two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.

Mansharamani, an entrepreneur and author, said he would focus on addressing the “root causes” of gun violence, particularly mental health, with compassion and understanding.

“I frankly think some of the social media algorithms that are out there are creating anxiety and depression, and some of the climate alarmism is teaching kids that the world is ending,” he said.

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Hamlen and Tang Williams also mentioned mental health, but Hamlen, a commodities trader, said his priority would be increasing security at schools. Tang Williams, meanwhile, said that when her husband grew up in Texas, high school students bought guns at a convenience store.

“We need to train our young people,” said Tang Williams, a professional speaker who manages rental properties.

Both of the Democrats said they would support gun control legislation. Van Ostern, a former executive councilor, called for universal background checks, a red flag law and other “basic gun violence prevention laws.” He described the fear he felt when his son was walking home a few blocks away from a hospital shooting last fall.

“I believe with more parents who’ve had these experiences, and more kids who have, serving in the United States Congress, we’ll find the bipartisan consensus we need to get this done,” he said.

Goodlander, a former senior White House aide, agreed that Congress should step up and pass gun safety legislation, including getting “weapons of war” off the streets.

“We also need to take on the gun industry, which for too long has benefited from loopholes and a lack of rigorous accountability,” she said.

While most of the debate questions were aimed at how the candidates would tackle future problems, the Democrats spent a considerable amount of time criticizing each others’ pasts. Van Ostern repeatedly brought up Goodlander’s work for the late Sen. John McCain and other Republicans.

“Maggie was in Washington, D.C., giving thousands of dollars to pro-life Republicans, people who were on the ballot with Donald Trump in 2020 and spending years of her life working for members of Congress on the other side of the aisle … who were undermining some of our most basic rights,” he said.

Goodlander urged voters to look closely at the last five years, when she has served as an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve and worked at the Justice Department and White House.

“During the same period of time, my opponent was working at a venture capital firm, helping the rich to get richer,” she said. “Those choices have a real bearing on how we will be as members of Congress.”

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One of the sharpest exchanges among the Republicans, meanwhile, came when the candidates were asked whether they believed the 2020 presidential election was “stolen.” Both Hamlen and Mansharamani said it was not, but Tang Williams refused to say yes or no despite repeated prodding from both the debate moderator and her fellow candidates.

“I still have a lot of questions,” she said. “Some things are not yes or no. It’s not that simple.”