Thomas Ware

Thomas Ware earned a bachelor's degree from James Madison University in 2003 and he attended New England College. His career experience includes working as an educator.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am Thomas Ware. I have enjoyed living in Andover for 18 years. I love New Hampshire; our community is a great place to raise a family. My wife Lesley and I have two daughters who attend public school. I help direct and coach in the town recreation basketball program.

I was born in NH, and grew up and attended school in VA. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in History from James Madison University. I also completed postgraduate work in History and in Education at New England College.

I have over two decades of experience working in human services and education. I worked in special education. I have seen the value of supporting everyone, especially our most vulnerable populations. I managed a program for former foster youth, after they transitioned to adulthood and struggled to get on their feet. We helped them find housing, a career path, and connections to community resources. I know how hard it can be to struggle to pay bills. I know what it is like to work two jobs to try to make ends meet, because I’ve done it.

I am running for State Representative because I want to make NH more affordable and livable for working families like mine. I want to lower property taxes, fund and support public schools, protect our natural environment, and find solutions to increase housing availability.

Please help me bring new leadership to Concord and keep NH a great place to live.

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?

Lower property taxes and support public schools. The state has refused to meet its obligation to adequately fund education, leaving local property taxpayers to pick up the bill.

We need to place the tax burden back where it belongs: mega-corporations and the wealthy. You know, the people who can afford it.

By raising state revenue through those means and NOT AN INCOME TAX, we can send money back to towns so they don't have to rely on taxing our homes to fund the schools we love.I love the natural beauty of NH. It's why we draw visitors here every year, and it's what makes it great to live here. I am committed to protecting the natural environment of NH, keeping it a beautiful place to live, work, learn, and play.

We also need to keep and attract young people and families in NH. Part of that is growing and developing responsibly. We can do that by keeping our traditional focus on local control and input into planning and building housing. Towns and cities know best how to manage their growth, and the state can provide incentives and grants to support them.Support education. NH ranks dead last in the US in terms of state funding of public education. But add in town support, and that ranking goes to the top 10. We value our schools!

We also need to support our teachers, and do what we can to maintain strong curriculum standards, and strong public universities. I was a teacher, special educator, and disability services coordinator. I've seen up close the difference education makes in the lives of not just students and their families, but the positive impact it makes on their communities, and the state as a whole. Strong schools make a strong state.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Education, environmental conservation, public services, social justice, civil rights, personal liberty.