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Three candidates challenging Gov. Chris Sununu for the Republican nomination for governor shared their thoughts on affordable housing, energy costs and other issues Friday night in the Granite State Debate.Sununu declined to attend the debate, and with a recent poll showing that 60% of Granite Staters approve of the job he's doing, the three candidates on the debate stage sought to show why Republican voters should choose them over the incumbent.>> Read debate participant bios: Acciard | Riley | TestermanVeteran and businessman Julian Acciard, conservative activist Karen Testerman and businessman Thad Riley focused squarely on Sununu and what they called his unconstitutional overreach, rather than on each other in the hourlong debate at St. Anselm College.Each candidate sought to harness conservative discontent with Sununu, who was criticized by some in his own party for what they saw as abusing his powers during the COVID-19 pandemic.>> Gubernatorial candidates on the issues"There are a lot of places where the governor continues to violate people's rights, as well as flip-flopping on many of the decisions that he's written letters to say that he would uphold," Testerman said.RE-WATCH DEBATE VIDEOSSee the full debate at this link, or view the debate by segment here:IntroductionsDebate formatWhy run against Sununu?Should NH defy enforcement of federal laws?Safe drinking waterShould NH take action against polluters?Workforce housingSchool funding fairnessSchool safetyEnergy costsBail reformParental rightsLightning round: Marijuana, immigration, favorite New England neighbor, NH constitutionNH's abortion lawSununu's potential POTUS aspirationsState's liquor monopolyProtecting health systems in a crisisClosing statementsFull videoAcciard took Sununu to task for criticizing Republican legislators."I believe in Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment: you're not supposed to be shooting out in public against your own party," Acciard said. "But yet the governor goes out and does it every time that he gets in front of a microphone."Riley accused the governor of not looking out for the best interest of New Hampshire residents."The only thing worse than electing a career politician is electing the same career politician," he said. "And Chris Sununu is a career politician. He does things every day that don't make sense to Granite Staters."The candidates were asked for their solutions to some of the toughest problems facing New Hampshire, such as the lack of affordable housing. "We've got to get the bureaucracy out of New Hampshire," Riley said. "These zoning laws are doing more damage day in and day out for business leaders and communities and builders."Acciard agreed that zoning laws are part of the reason why affordable housing is hard to come by. He said cities and towns need to be open to allowing more forms of development."The towns have got to step up and start loosening (zoning laws) and allow for multifamily properties to be built and maybe some manufactured housing so we can actually start to house people, because we're losing our youngest people in the state," Acciard said. "They graduate, and they immediately leave."Testerman said the housing market has been skewed by demand from people outside the state."One of the interesting things about the housing market is that we're building a lot of housing that also is providing housing to the people who are working down in Boston," Testerman said.Each of the candidates said they would sign into law a parental bill of rights if it made it to their desk. Supports of such measures say they allow parents to be more involved with their children's school lives, but opponents say they could make the mental health crisis worse, with schools required to out LGBTQ students to their parents before they're ready.Acciard said that if sensitive topics are involved, parents can be informed without jeopardizing children."Parents should have a say in their kid's education for better or worse," he said. "These are our kids. We don't hand them into government custody and just let things be."Riley said parents increasingly believe that their voices don't matter in their children's schools."Political ideologues have infiltrated New Hampshire public schools," he said. "We need a governor who knows what's going on in our public schools, who's been a part of them for years and can fight back."Testerman said such a measure would help keep government in check in terms of education."It is important that parents be allowed to be involved in their children's education, and government has no right to take this over," she said.On the Democratic side of the race, Dr. Tom Sherman is running unopposed for the nomination.The debate was the final Granite State Debate being held before the primary election. The 1st District debate was held Tuesday, the 2nd District debate was held Wednesday and U.S. Senate Republican candidates debated on Thursday.Programming note: Due to the airing of the debate, ABC's episode of "The Con" will air at 1:36 a.m. Saturday.

Three candidates challenging Gov. Chris Sununu for the Republican nomination for governor shared their thoughts on affordable housing, energy costs and other issues Friday night in the Granite State Debate.

Sununu declined to attend the debate, and with a recent poll showing that 60% of Granite Staters approve of the job he's doing, the three candidates on the debate stage sought to show why Republican voters should choose them over the incumbent.

>> Read debate participant bios: Acciard | Riley | Testerman

Veteran and businessman Julian Acciard, conservative activist Karen Testerman and businessman Thad Riley focused squarely on Sununu and what they called his unconstitutional overreach, rather than on each other in the hourlong debate at St. Anselm College.

Each candidate sought to harness conservative discontent with Sununu, who was criticized by some in his own party for what they saw as abusing his powers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

>> Gubernatorial candidates on the issues

"There are a lot of places where the governor continues to violate people's rights, as well as flip-flopping on many of the decisions that he's written letters to say that he would uphold," Testerman said.

See the full debate at this link, or view the debate by segment here:

Acciard took Sununu to task for criticizing Republican legislators.

"I believe in Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment: you're not supposed to be shooting out in public against your own party," Acciard said. "But yet the governor goes out and does it every time that he gets in front of a microphone."

Riley accused the governor of not looking out for the best interest of New Hampshire residents.

"The only thing worse than electing a career politician is electing the same career politician," he said. "And Chris Sununu is a career politician. He does things every day that don't make sense to Granite Staters."

The candidates were asked for their solutions to some of the toughest problems facing New Hampshire, such as the lack of affordable housing.

"We've got to get the bureaucracy out of New Hampshire," Riley said. "These zoning laws are doing more damage day in and day out for business leaders and communities and builders."

Acciard agreed that zoning laws are part of the reason why affordable housing is hard to come by. He said cities and towns need to be open to allowing more forms of development.

"The towns have got to step up and start loosening (zoning laws) and allow for multifamily properties to be built and maybe some manufactured housing so we can actually start to house people, because we're losing our youngest people in the state," Acciard said. "They graduate, and they immediately leave."

Testerman said the housing market has been skewed by demand from people outside the state.

"One of the interesting things about the housing market is that we're building a lot of housing that also is providing housing to the people who are working down in Boston," Testerman said.

Each of the candidates said they would sign into law a parental bill of rights if it made it to their desk. Supports of such measures say they allow parents to be more involved with their children's school lives, but opponents say they could make the mental health crisis worse, with schools required to out LGBTQ students to their parents before they're ready.

Acciard said that if sensitive topics are involved, parents can be informed without jeopardizing children.

"Parents should have a say in their kid's education for better or worse," he said. "These are our kids. We don't hand them into government custody and just let things be."

Riley said parents increasingly believe that their voices don't matter in their children's schools.

"Political ideologues have infiltrated New Hampshire public schools," he said. "We need a governor who knows what's going on in our public schools, who's been a part of them for years and can fight back."

Testerman said such a measure would help keep government in check in terms of education.

"It is important that parents be allowed to be involved in their children's education, and government has no right to take this over," she said.

On the Democratic side of the race, Dr. Tom Sherman is running unopposed for the nomination.

The debate was the final Granite State Debate being held before the primary election. The 1st District debate was held Tuesday, the 2nd District debate was held Wednesday and U.S. Senate Republican candidates debated on Thursday.

Programming note: Due to the airing of the debate, ABC's episode of "The Con" will air at 1:36 a.m. Saturday.

Link:
Republicans running for governor pitch themselves as alternatives to Sununu in debate - WMUR Manchester