Bob Cote

Bob Cote earned a high school diploma from Manchester Memorial High School and a bachelor's degree from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1970. Cote's career experience includes working as an environmental engineer.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am asking for the opportunity to serve in the New Hampshire House with the experience to understand complex issues, the judgment to weigh their real-world impact, and the independence to put residents first. My commitment is transparent, fiscally disciplined representation that protects local control, supports essential services, and strengthens the long-term well-being of New Hampshire communities. I would be honored to earn your vote and serve as a practical, accountable voice for Londonderry in the New Hampshire House.

My public-sector experience taught me how government decisions are carried out in the real world. From early field work with the State of New Hampshire to leadership roles with the City of Manchester’s Environmental Protection Division, I saw the importance of emergency readiness, clear rules, accountable operations, and public services that work for the people who rely on them.

In private practice, I helped towns, regulators, and businesses solve difficult infrastructure and environmental problems in practical, cost-conscious ways. That work included project budgeting and planning, municipal sewer use ordinances and other local rules that protect public health and infrastructure, intermunicipal agreements, permit programs, enforcement actions and compliance plans, stormwater protections, and tools that help communities meet their responsibilities without unnecessary cost or confusion.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

New Hampshire should oppose a broad income tax or sales tax and protect taxpayers by demanding clear justification for any new revenue proposal. A limited education-funding income tax should be considered only if voters approve it directly at the ballot box. Major tax changes should never be imposed without the consent of the people.New Hampshire should work toward a fairer, more predictable way to fund public education. Students, taxpayers, and local communities should be at the center of school-funding decisions, and reforms should strengthen education without destabilizing town budgets.State government should defend local control and respect the responsibilities Londonderry carries every day. Unfunded mandates that shift state costs onto local taxpayers should be avoided, and state rules should be clear, practical, and easy for towns to administer effectively.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Housing, Climate & Environment, Taxes, Equality & Respect for All, Education, Energy, Local Businesses & Local Government.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

President John F. Kennedy "Do not ask what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country."

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity and caring for the best interests of my fellow Granite Staters.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Leaving New Hampshire in a better state than when I first take office. So future generations are set for a brighter future.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Howdy Beef Burgers at Elm and Valley St in Manchester. For about a year while in high school.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Finding my place as a gay person in a challenging environment and time for LGBTQ+ people.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

A cooperative working relationship is essential for the benefit of the State and it's people.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Accommodating population growth and climate change.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes.

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

JFK's assassination.