After Months Of Wavering, Democrat Warmington Enters 2026 New Hampshire Governor's Race

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

After months of rumors and retreats, former Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington has finally pulled the trigger on a 2026 campaign for governor.

“As Governor: I’ll repeal the private school voucher scheme that’s damaging public schools and driving up property taxes. I’ll stand up to Trump when he jacks up health care costs and tariffs. I’ll say no to ICE’s warehouse and I’ll work for our small businesses and make sure we don’t have a sales or income tax,” Warmington said.

The news was first reported by WMUR’s Adam Sexton.

In her WMUR interview, Warmington declared herself “the underdog in this race,” predicting that incumbent Gov. Kelly Ayotte “will have a mountain of money” supporting her campaign.

“But I think the people of New Hampshire really want and need a change.”

In 2024, Warmington lost the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, 42 to 48 percent. A central issue in the primary campaign was Warmington’s previous work as a lobbyist for Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin.

She testified in Concord, defending the company’s record on the drug during the early years of the opioid crisis. And she famously described OxyContin as a “miracle drug for many patients” and argued that the prescription pill “has very few side effects.”

Team Ayotte immediately responded to the news of Warmington’s candidacy.

“Cinde Warmington spent her career as a lobbyist for the opioid industry, promoting OxyContin and defending New England’s most notorious pill mill. Cinde chose to make money off big pharmaceutical companies who hurt Granite Staters, and she is absolutely disqualified from serving as our Governor,” said Ayotte spokesman John Corbett.

Warmington is hoping to turn the tables by focusing on the fight over the Trump administration’s plans to put an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainment facility in Merrimack, N.H. The proposal has sparked protests, as well as opposition from local, elected Republicans.

“The most important question (Ayotte) needs to answer is whether she for this facility?”

As Warmington wavered, buzz grew that Portsmouth’s Democratic Mayor Deaglan McEachern might jump into the race. Neil Levesque at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics says Warmington’s announcement message will help keep other Democrats out.

“She directly contrasts her positions to the Republican Governor which is also an excellent hedge against any primary opponent who may emerge,” Levesque said. “Essentially, if you present yourself to voters as the anti-Republican it strengthens you in a fight within your own party.”

The Republican Governors Association released a statement targeting Warmington, a sign the GOP is determined to hold onto one of the few Republican-held major offices in New England.

“Cinde Warmington’s only record is a career spent lobbying for the industry that fueled an epidemic and promoting a Leftist agenda that would take New Hampshire backward. Granite Staters will be reminded who Cinde Warmington really is, and the fact that an already failed candidate is all New Hampshire Democrats could come up with speaks to their desperation,” said RGA Communications Director Courtney Alexander.

DEVELOPING…

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.