“Whether it’s standing up for veterans, local law enforcement, working families, or women’s reproductive freedom, Chris Pappas is a commonsense leader who has always put the needs of New Hampshire families first. Russell Prescott’s agenda to restrict abortion rights, slash Social Security and Medicare, and oppose critical legislation to lower costs makes it abundantly clear that he would only serve himself and Donald Trump’s extreme and out of touch MAGA movement in Congress. Granite Staters have re-elected Congressman Pappas three times over, and they’ll do so again in November,” said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene.
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To: Interested Parties From: Ellie Dougherty, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: September 11, 2024
Subject: The Case Against Russell Prescott
With fewer than two months until November’s general election, Chris Pappas is once again well-poised to win re-election in this highly competitive congressional seat and continue working on behalf of Granite State families – just like he’s done for the past six years.
Born and raised in New Hampshire, Chris learned from a young age what hard work means and what it takes to own and run a small business, working his way up in his family’s historic restaurant in Manchester. In Congress, he’s worked across the aisle to get things done for Granite Staters, including delivering millions of dollars for water infrastructure improvements, job training, and local law enforcement.
Additionally, Chris has protected Social Security and Medicare for our seniors, stood up for our veterans, and worked to lower costs and invest in New Hampshire communities. He has always fought to keep the government from trampling on women’s reproductive freedom – and voters trust that he always will.
Meanwhile, Russell Prescott would be a disaster for New Hampshire’s First Congressional District. Prescott is an out of touch extremist who would grovel to the most far-right, dangerous members of the Republican Party in Congress to pass a nationwide ban on reproductive freedom. As a State Senator, Prescott touted his 20-year anti-choice record that has favored government intervention when it comes to private, reproductive care. He also passed a disastrous overhaul of New Hampshire’s retirement system that forced police officers and teachers into earlier retirement. Even worse, he said he would do it again in D.C. as dangerous House Republicans work to slash Social Security and Medicare.
Granite Staters face a choice between a commonsense leader in Chris Pappas, who has a strong bipartisan record of delivering for them, and Russell Prescott, whose extremism is deeply out of touch with this traditional swing district. Come November, New Hampshire families will reject Prescott’s far-right agenda.
AN ANTI-CHOICE EXTREMIST
Russell Prescott’s extreme 20-year anti-choice record is completely at odds with the overwhelming majority of Granite Staters who not only support a woman’s right to choose, but cite it as “the main” factor motivating their vote.
As a State Senator, Prescottrepeatedlyvotedagainst keeping abortion providers safe. In 2015, he voted against a bill to require employers to disclose to employees whether their insurance covered contraception.
Prescott’s anti-choice record extends far beyond his time as a State Senator. He’s also used rhetoric aligned with D.C. politicians pushing for a nationwide abortion ban without any exceptions, and praised the disastrous overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Now, on the campaign trail, Prescott highlighted an endorsement from Senator Rand Paul, who has introduced this draconian legislation intheSenatefivetimes. Prescott has additionally touted an endorsement from anti-choice Congresswoman Kat Cammack and floated her as a Vice President candidate pick for Trump. Prescott also endorsed the leader of the GOP’s crusade against women’s reproductive freedoms, Donald Trump, in addition to Trump’s anti-woman VP pick JD Vance. Both Trump and Vance boast an extensive record of opposing and restricting women’s reproductive rights, including Trump bragging about being responsible for overturning Roe v. Wade and Vance’s campaign website calling to “end abortion.”
If Prescott had his way, Granite State women would have been stripped of their reproductive rights a long time ago. Meanwhile, Chris Pappas has always fought to protect women’s reproductive freedoms, including co-sponsoring the Women’s Health Protection Act and the Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act, and will continue to do so when re-elected.
A MAGA EXTREMIST
Russell Prescott’s blind loyalty to, and endorsement of, the leader of the MAGA movement, Donald Trump, adds to a growing list of ways he’s wildly out of step with New Hampshire’s First Congressional District.
After Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts, Russell Prescott undermined the rule of law and rushed to rally behind Trump’s defense – proving he’d do anything to protect the convicted felon and enable his Republican Party bosses’ extreme agenda.
When it comes to issues impacting Granite State families, Prescott has wholeheartedly endorsed Donald Trump’s far-right agenda at every turn. While Prescott has campaigned on public safety and securing the border, he’s refused to support bipartisan efforts to make meaningful progress on immigration reform, including opposing the bipartisan immigration deal endorsed by the border patrol union and negotiated in the Senate – per Trump’s orders.
Perhaps the most telling, Russell Prescott refuses to denounce Project 2025, which would dramatically reshape the United States government and serve one person: Donald Trump. By backing Trump, Prescott has embraced the far-right manifesto that would give Trump unchecked powers to advocate to ban abortion nationwide, ban Medicare prescription negotiation, roll back surprise medical billing protections, make it easier to pay workers less overtime, and eliminate Head Start.
Granite Staters have rejected Donald Trump twice before – and they’ll reject his MAGA extremist lackey Russell Prescott in November.
A THREAT TO GRANITE STATE FAMILIES AND SENIORS
Russell Prescott’s deep ties to Donald Trump aren’t just alarming – they pose a direct threat to Granite State families and seniors. In addition to intending to slash critical programs like Social Security and Medicare that New Hampshire seniors rely on, Prescott’s support for Trump further underscores his plans to jack up middle-class tax rates in order to pay for deeper tax cuts for the rich.
Prescott’s methodical efforts to attack working families date back to his time in the State Senate. From 2011 to 2016, Prescottvotedagainstraising New Hampshire’s minimum wage by as little as $1 per hour, against providing school district employees with family and medical leave, and against New Hampshire’s Medicaid expansion. Prescott also sponsored and votedformultiple so-called “right to work” laws, which have been found to depress wages for union and non-union workers – and pledged to pursue similar legislation if elected to Congress. Prescott has also made it clear that he opposes measures both in the Inflation Reduction Act that’s helping to lower costs for working families and seniors in addition to the CHIPS and Science Act, which is making direct investments in good-paying jobs to the Granite State.
As if it wasn’t already clear he’s not on the side of working families, Prescott has routinely pushed for tax breaks that would disproportionately benefit the ultra wealthy for corporations – and himself. Prescott is a multimillionaire, reporting a net worth up to $44.3 million, who has endorsed tax plans to disproportionately benefit the top .1% of highest-income taxpayers and voted to cut business profits and enterprise tax rates.
This is a stark contrast to Chris Pappas, who learned the value of hard work and fair wages through his family’s small business. In Congress, Chris has fought for Granite State families at every turn and helped to pass the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
New Hampshire Union Leader: Pappas supports increase in pay rates for vets unable to work [New Hampshire Union Leader, 6/13/24]
WMUR: Pappas surveys GOP field in 1st Congressional District, blasts Trump loyalists in US House [WMUR, 6/21/24]
WMUR: Pappas announces record-breaking fundraising total for 1st quarter [WMUR, 4/8/24]
New Hampshire Union Leader: Senator Lou D’Allesandro: Pappas will push extremism to the side to deliver solutions [New Hampshire Union Leader, 8/30/24]
NH Journal: Trump’s ‘Leave It to States’ Abortion Policy Impacts NH Politics [NH Journal, 4/8/24]
“Fellow Republican Russell Prescott said, ‘While I’m personally pro-life and have the voting record in Concord to prove it, since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, I have been consistent in saying that this issue is now one that is best left up to the states. I agree with President Trump’s latest comments and believe it is the right direction our leaders should take on this very personal, but important issue.’
“The Democrat these two Republicans hope to challenge, Rep. Chris Pappas, supports federal legislation overriding New Hampshire’s law.”
PATH TO VICTORY
In 2020, President Biden carried New Hampshire’s First Congressional District – which has one of the highest college-degree attainment rates in the country – by six points. In 2022, Congressman Pappas won re-election by more than eight points.
While Chris Pappas continues to build a strong war chest to communicate to Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, Russell Prescott’s extreme and out of touch branding has translated to lackluster fundraising hauls – and his campaign, consequently, has yet to go up on broadcast TV. Now, with a short runway to November, Prescott is behind the mark on doing what it takes to win in this battleground district.
Chris Pappas’ strong record of delivering for New Hampshire is exactly why he’s been re-elected three times in a row in this competitive swing district. The Congressman has a clear path, yet again, to winning another term to represent Granite State families.
