E19: Alexis Simpson

Alexis Simpson is the Minority Leader of the New Hampshire House - and so much more. The veteran Democratic legislator from Exeter is an ordained minister with an academic background in physics, who originally came into state politics through her interest in sustainable farming (a particularly important topic in NH). This diverse (and, in some ways, unconventional) background for a political leader has many subtle advantages, and we explored her leadership style and hopeful outlook.In the 400-seat NH House, the GOP currently has about a 222-178 majority, and along with a Republican State Senate majority, and Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte, a legislative trifecta. They've largely used that trifecta to aggressively push forward a number of provocative policies, including arguably the country's most libertarian school voucher program and the elimination of the state's Interest & Dividends tax, while increasing the cost of the state's Medicaid program for lower-income families to help balance the budget.Simpson and House Democrats recently released their "Fair Chance Agenda", with specific legislation meant to help address the high cost of everything from housing, to health insurance, to child care. We talked about that legislative agenda, what it's like to try to push the ball forward while in the minority, and big recent news that the national Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) has put the NH House (and Senate) into "Battleground" status. It's a big deal for the 2026 elections, which we discussed at length, as well.