Alderwoman-at-Large Shoshanna Kelly Courtesy photo

NASHUA — Alderwoman-at-Large Shoshanna Kelly recently announced her candidacy to represent District 5 the New Hampshire Executive Council.

Kelly is currently serving in her second term, after being elected citywide by the state’s second-largest city in 2017 and re-elected in 2021. She is the first woman of color and person of color to be elected as an alderwoman-at-large in Nashua. If elected in November, she will be the first woman of color and person of color in the Executive Council and the highest-ranked elected person of color in the history of the Granite State.

“I am running for Executive Council because I believe the people of District 5 deserve an accessible, transparent and passionate leader who will defend their rights, expand their freedoms and keep their best interests at heart,” said Kelly.

She said the job is critically important and often misunderstood. She describes the Executive Council position as the “most powerful position nobody knows about.” Kelly said the five-person council is responsible for appointing state commissioners and judges, approving the 10-year transportation plan and stewarding the billion-dollar state budget by approving all state contracts that exceed $10,000.

“I believe a budget is a moral document and I promise to approve contracts that align with the values of my constituents in District 5,” said Kelly. “That means making sure we have the resources to adequately fund our schools, create affordable housing, and invest in our infrastructure so it can remain safe now and in the years to come. I also find it deeply immoral to deny access to affordable, life-saving reproductive healthcare solely due to radical personal belief systems.”

As an alderwoman-at-large, Kelly has been proud to make significant changes in her city while staying the course with sound, local governing. A member of the Budget Committee and Finance committee, she has done the work to create a fiscally responsible budget in Nashua for every year of her term. Kelly has also passed legislation to establish an Affordable Housing Trust Fund and worked to create achievable goals that reduce costs and make long-term investments in Nashua’s infrastructure. A strong advocate for public schools, she has successfully advocated for additional funding for Nashua Public Schools year after year. She is passionate about taking these fights to Concord.

“As a Nashuan, small business owner, and mom, I know the struggles that working families and small businesses in the area face. My family has deep roots here,” she said. “I am committed to making our community — and our state — the best it can be by ensuring everyone has access to the resources, education, health care, and economic opportunities they need to thrive. The residents of District 5 are ready to get things back on track — and I’m ready to fight for you.”

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