Jonathan Kiper

Jonathan Kiper was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He earned a high school diploma from Exeter High School and an associate degree from the SAE Institute in Melbourne, Australia, in 2005. His career experience includes working as a restaurateur. As of his 2024 campaign, Kiper had also published three books and recorded and published numerous musical alumnus and songs.[1]

Kiper has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]

Newmarket Community Church

Newmarket Main Street Corp

Newmarket MillSpace.

Jonathan Kiper did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a small business owner, father of a 2nd greater who attends public school, and a lifelong NH resident. I am running for governor to champion the causes of the working-class and middle-class: fighting inflation and increasing housing affordability. I believe we need to hold big oil accountable for global warming and also legalize cannabis. I strongly believe in keeping the government out of personal medical decisions. Live free or die!

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?

We need more affordable housing.We need to legalize cannabis.We need to protect individuals right to make their own medical decisions.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I believe NH needs to pay our state Reps and senators. Currently they receive $100 per year as such most middle-class and working class people cannot participate in the system. We need to pay them a stipend of $2000 a month when they are in session. This would make for better outcomes for the middle and working class.

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

I look up to the founding fathers of the United States. They were able to stand up to a superior force and prevail against the odds. They were able to work together as a group to achieve a common goal, motivated by freedom and self determination.

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

I believe we need more honesty and transparency from our elected officials. We need to tell voters the truth about taxes, government services and the limitations of those services. There are no simple solutions, but we need to bring back Yankee ingenuity: finding creative and thrifty solutions to today’s problems. I also believe many social and environmental solution can also save tax payers money in the long run.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am good at making complex topics seem less complicated. I am good at identifying systemic issues and brainstorming creative solutions to those issues. I am good at delegating tasks, managing people and ensuring a positive work environment for my staff.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to modernize the NH government and leave NH with a plan for the next 100 years.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

9-11 happened when I was 18. I had just graduated high school and was about to travel to Australia.

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

I worked at a gas station when I was 13. I worked there for about a year.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut. I like Vonnegut’s playful writing style. The book ends with as many questions as it began with. Leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I would be one of the children in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Gangnam Style!

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

Prior to starting my own business, I struggled to find meaningful employment. I have found self employment has granted me the freedom I need to fully enjoy my life.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean do you?

The governor sets the goals and expectations for the administration of the state. The Governor appoints people to various roles to ensure the state runs smoothly and the needs of the citizens are met. I would like to modernize the processes which residents use to interact with the various governmental agencies to ensure higher rates of satisfaction.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

The power to veto or sign legislation into law is the most important function.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

The governor should work with the legislature to draft a budget that meets the needs of the state while being as fiscally responsible as possible. We need to balance the services provided by the government with the burden placed on the tax payers.

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

Our state does not allow the line item veto.

If the governor's office in your state does not have the line-item veto power, do you believe it should? Why or why not?

I believe this could be a good tool for the governor to use when legislation needs minor adjustments.

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

In an ideal world, the governor and the state legislature would communicate frequently and openly to draft laws that improve the lives of residents of the state.

What do you love most about your state?

The best part about NH is the natural beauty from the beaches to the mountains. We need to protect this asset.

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

We need to modernize the functions of the state to address the issues of the current world.

Tell us your favorite joke.

A bagel,a fried egg, and a piece of bacon walk into a bar. The bagel says can I have a drink for me and my friends in the barge center says sorry we don’t serve breakfast.

Under what circumstances should the governor of your state be able to use emergency powers?

The governor should use emergency powers during an emergency, when the residents need rapid solutions.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Rep. Amanda Bouldin, Rep. Ellen Read.

Campaign website

Kiper’s campaign website stated the following:

The Man with the Plans

Inflation Reduction Plan

For a prosperous future, businesses must invest in a well-educated workforce complemented by affordable housing and affordable childcare. Ignoring these needs will only steer New Hampshire toward economic downfall. We must act now.

Affordable Housing

Our housing crisis is the number one driver of inflation. Higher wages will inevitably be followed by higher prices for everyday consumer needs—a feedback loop that unfortunately only serves to exacerbate inflation. New Hampshire’s economy needs one key thing: more housing stock.

Cannabis Legalization

New Hampshire is an island of prohibition—every bordering state has legalized cannabis for recreational use. Every day, Granite Staters cross state lines in droves to pay taxes to neighboring states. In refusing to move forward, our state government is leaving money on the table. Revenues from legal cannabis could be used to address our housing crisis and breathe new life into our state’s economy.

Education Funding

New Hampshire's education funding model, which relies on local municipalities for a large portion of its funding, may have made sense in centuries past. Today, Granite Staters are burdened with sky-high property taxes in exchange for limited and underfunded public services while the state legislature pours tax dollars into private and religious schools via its "voucher" scheme. To support our public schools, our school funding model needs a 21st century redesign.

Medical Freedom

Whether we're talking reproductive rights, medical cannabis, or trans rights, New Hampshire remains the Live Free or Die State. Privacy and autonomy in medical decisions is a cornerstone of our state ethos, and the legislature should stop playing doctor.

Climate Action

While Big Tobacco and Purdue Pharma have been held to account for poisoning and killing New Hampshire residents, other large corporations have yet to experience any liability. We don't need to wait on Congress to take action—New Hampshire can recover damages and implement fiscally smart strategies to alter our impact on the environment.

Democracy

New Hampshire is the only state in the nation that requires a "volunteer" legislature, compensating our lawmakers only $100 per year. As a result, our legislature skews older, wealthier, and retired. It should come as no surprise, then, that our state government has failed to legalize cannabis or address the housing crisis. With a paid legislature, we can enjoy true representative democracy.[2]

—Jonathan Kiper’s campaign website (2024)[3]