The third and final debate between New Hampshire’s Senate candidates will likely cover familiar ground from their first two debates, including Sen. Maggie Hassan’s (D) voting record, Republican Don Bolduc’s election fraud claims, and the rising cost of living.
The debate will air Wednesday night on WMUR-TV at 8 p.m. EST, less than one week before Election Day. Bolduc, a former Army brigadier general, has tightened the polling gap between himself and the incumbent Democrat, trailing her by about 2.8 points, on average. Polls from the last week have the candidates in a tie or Bolduc ahead by 1 point.
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In their last two debates, Bolduc hammered Hassan on her record in Congress, especially her vote for President Joe Biden’s agenda in the form of the Inflation Reduction Act. Hassan distanced herself from the Biden administration by stating the president was too slow in addressing inflation. She has also touted her bipartisan record when Bolduc attacked her on everything from the border to student loans.
Bolduc’s past claims that there was widespread fraud in New Hampshire during the 2020 election have also come up at both prior debates, though he said during the first debate that he “can’t say that it was stolen or not. I don’t have enough information.”
In the second debate, he said reports of illegal voting need to be investigated.
“Just to be clear, you’re claiming that buses full of voters who are not permitted to vote — you’re claiming that happens in New Hampshire?” a moderator asked.
“That’s what the Granite State is telling me, and I’m saying we need to respond to verify that information,” Bolduc said. “This is what Granite Staters are telling me, and I think it’s valid.”
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Heating costs are a pressing local concern, as rising energy prices have translated into difficult choices for consumers — between heating their homes in the winter and paying for food or gas.
New Hampshire’s Senate election is an important one in deciding which party controls the upper chamber next year. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates it as leaning toward Hassan winning reelection. Bolduc is endorsed by Donald Trump, and Bolduc’s campaign is testing voters’ appetite for the former president’s brand of conservatism in New Hampshire.
