Luz Bay, NH Executive Council candidate 2026
Luz Bay is a candidate for the NH Executive Council District 1, representing parts of Belknap, Carroll, Coös, Grafton, Merrimack, and Strafford counties, including Dover, Durham, Madbury, Rochester, Rollinsford and Somersworth.
Here is the candidate's response to a questionnaire from Foster's Daily Democrat and Fosters.com.
Party:Democratic
District:1
Education:Ph.D. in Educational Measurement and Statistics
Occupation:Retired
Political or civic experience highlights:Two-term State Representative, Strafford County District 21 (Dover Wards 1, 2, 3, 5, & 6)
Your campaign website: luzbay.run
What will be your top priority/priorities if elected to the Executive Council?As executive councilor, my top priority is ensuring New Hampshire families can afford to live, work, and raise children here, especially through protecting and expanding affordable healthcare. As a three-time breast cancer survivor, I know access to high-quality health care isn't a luxury; it's a critical lifeline. No Granite Stater should have to choose between paying for life-saving care or putting food on the table. The Executive Council has a responsibility to make smart investments that expand access to affordable health care. Unfortunately, my opponent, Councilor Joe Kenney, has repeatedly voted to reject critical federal health care funding. In 2021, Kenney voted to send $27 million in federal funding back to Washington instead of using it to support our communities and healthcare providers. I know what it means to depend on access to health care when your life is on the line. I'll be the vote that protects access and lowers costs for working families.
What can the Executive Council do to increase housing affordability for Granite Staters who aren't millionaires?Housing affordability will be one of my top priorities on the Executive Council. Granite Staters shouldn't have to be millionaires to afford a safe, fair place to live. The Executive Council has a critical role to play in reviewing and approving state and federal contracts that help increase the supply and affordability of homes in New Hampshire. As an executive councilor, I will review future investments to make sure they produce measurable results: more homes for families, long-term affordability, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars. I will support projects that expand housing supply while prioritizing people who are being priced out of communities they call home. New Hampshire needs more housing, but we also need to make sure that the housing we help finance is housing that teachers, nurses, first responders, young families, seniors, and working people can actually afford.
What are your views on locating large-scale AI data centers in NH?I have serious concerns about locating large-scale AI data centers in New Hampshire without first understanding their full impact on our communities, environment, and energy infrastructure. As a state representative, I've stood firmly against the unchecked expansion of data centers. I spoke out at the Nottingham town meeting against the proposed data center there, and during the Executive Council's recent review of the state's bitcoin-backed municipal bond deal, I pressed officials on whether CleanSpark, the data center developer and bitcoin miner behind the bond, has plans to build data centers here in New Hampshire. Granite Staters deserve transparency and accountability before the state backs deals that could have long-term consequences for our communities and resources. I remain committed to a statewide moratorium on data centers until we have a clear understanding of their environmental, economic, and community impacts.
What are your views on New Hampshire cooperating with ICE?I believe New Hampshire should cooperate with federal authorities when there is a legitimate public-safety need, but our state and local law enforcement agencies should not be turned into an extension of federal immigration enforcement. I voted against legislation in 2025 that would have prohibited "sanctuary" policies and required local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. In 2026, I also sponsored HB 1609, which would have prevented state, county, and municipal governments from using public funds or property to construct, operate, or support certain immigrant detention facilities. I believe our police should be focused on keeping Granite Staters safe and maintaining trust with the communities they serve.
What can the state do to lower electric rates for residents and businesses?New Hampshire families and businesses are facing high costs everywhere, and electricity rates are one of the biggest burdens on their budgets. The Executive Council has real power here. It confirms the Public Utilities Commission Chair and Commissioners, the officials who oversee rate cases and utility spending, and whose decisions directly shape what shows up on every Granite Stater's electric bill. Earlier this year, my opponent, Joe Kenney supported Chris Ellms's nomination to chair the Commission, despite serious concerns raised by energy advocates and experts. Since Ellms was confirmed, our electric bills have kept climbing. As Executive Councilor, I'll scrutinize every appointment and contract that touches our energy costs with the same rigor I bring to every other issue: asking whether it actually protects ratepayers, not just whether it's politically convenient.
What are your views on the Legislature's override of Gov. Ayotte on the 10-year transportation bill?In the House, I was proud to support New Hampshire's Ten-Year Transportation Plan and to vote to override Governor Ayotte's veto. This plan moves forward critical projects that communities across our state have spent years planning for and gives our cities and towns the certainty they need to prepare for the future. Putting off necessary infrastructure projects doesn't make them go away. It creates uncertainty, allows problems to grow, and too often leaves Granite Staters paying more to address them later. The Executive Council has an important role in shaping our state's transportation priorities and ensuring communities have a voice in that process. As an executive councilor, I'll bring the same approach I've brought to the State House: protect taxpayer dollars and focus on responsible investments that keep New Hampshire moving forward.
What, if anything, should the Executive Council do regarding healthcare, including reproductive healthcare?Healthcare is personal to me. As a three-time breast cancer survivor, I know firsthand how important it is to have access to quality, affordable healthcare when you need it. As an Executive Councilor, I will prioritize smart investments that expand access to healthcare and strengthen the safety net for Granite Staters. It is the responsibility of the Executive Council to evaluate healthcare contracts based on whether they deliver quality, accessible care to Granite Staters. Unfortunately, Councilor Joe Kenney's voting record falls short. Just last year, Kenney voted against federally funded contracts that would have helped to study ways to improve maternal and postpartum care in New Hampshire. This is a time when we need an investment in maternal and reproductive healthcare, yet Kenney is turning away federal dollars that could help our communities. I will always be a vote for expanding access to affordable healthcare.
What's your criteria when deciding whether to approve a judicial appointment?When deciding whether to approve a judicial appointment, I would look first at the nominee's qualifications, integrity, experience, and commitment to equal justice under the law. Our Executive Councilors have a constitutional responsibility to perform adequate diligence on all judicial and executive nominees. My opponent, Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, clearly failed on this matter. Kenney was one of four Republican Executive Councilors who voted to confirm NH Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald, who recently announced his resignation after admitting to violating the state's judicial code of conduct for his handling of a $50,000 payout to a top ally. The Judicial Conduct Committee determined he "failed to promote public confidence," a fact which cannot be overstated. Granite Staters deserve an Executive Council who will hold nominees, and themselves, up to a higher standard. Joe Kenney has failed to achieve this standard.
What are your views on the Executive Council as a check on the governor's power?The Executive Council is one of New Hampshire's most important checks on executive power, and I believe Councilors have a responsibility to exercise that authority independently. The Council is New Hampshire's most powerful oversight body, with a constitutional role in approving major state contracts, appointments, and expenditures. As a psychometrician, I've spent my career analyzing data to determine what actually works. That's the same diagnostic approach I'll bring to this role: the Council should serve as a firewall between the Governor's office and the people's money, and that firewall only works if every decision is grounded in facts and evidence, not politics. My obligation is to Granite Staters first. Whether it is a healthcare contract, an infrastructure project, a judicial appointment, or a major state expenditure, I will look at the data, ask whether the proposal serves the public interest, and hold the Governor accountable when necessary.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Luz Bay, NH Executive Council candidate 2026
