AFP-NH Endorses Stephen, Murphy, And GOP State Reps In Hillsborough, Rockingham Counties

By NewsNHJ, NH Journal

Republican Executive Councilor John Stephen and state Sen. Keith Murphy (R-Manchester) headline the first wave of endorsements announced by Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire today in the 2026 state election cycle.

AFP-NH, which supports free-market economics and limited government, is endorsing 28 candidates for Executive Council, the state Senate, and the New Hampshire House. It has pledged to put its statewide campaign operation behind the candidates, including door-to-door canvassing, digital advertising, and direct mail.

“It’s no accident that New Hampshire is the freest state in the nation, and that is largely due to legislators who are willing to cut burdensome regulations, expand education freedom, and hold the line against new taxes,” said AFP-NH Deputy State Director Sarah Scott.

AFP-NH said its endorsements are based on the candidates’ positions on tax policy, housing reform, education choice, worker freedom, and fiscal responsibility.

Stephen told NHJournal it’s “an honor to have AFP-NH’s support again this cycle, and to continue working with them to grow the New Hampshire Advantage, lower the cost of living for Granite Staters, and keep New Hampshire the best state in the country to live, work, and raise a family.”

The organization said the newly announced endorsements are its first wave of the 2026 cycle, and more AFP-NH announcements are expected before the September primary and November general election.

“We believe the candidates we are endorsing today are individuals who represent the leadership needed to keep New Hampshire’s Advantage growing,” Scott added. “They will work to advance policies that will protect the state’s values and ensure Granite Staters have the opportunity to thrive and prosper as they achieve their American Dream.”

Executive Council

• John Stephen

State Senate

• Keith Murphy

State House

Belknap County

• Caroline Rockafellow
• Scott Wallace

Carroll County

• Dale Fincher
• Colin Mitchell
• Tammy Simmons Garthwaite
• Jonathan Smith

Hillsborough County

• Adam Haverstock
• Ted Trost

Merrimack County

• Jose Cambrils

Rockingham County

• Michael Appleton
• Brandon Bach
• Cindy Bennett
• Bruce Breton
• Brian Chirichiello
• Mike Drago
• Ron Dunn
• Anthony Henry
• Erica Layon
• Bob Lynn
• Charles McMahon
• Brian Nadeau
• Sherman Packard
• Emily Phillips
• Daniel Popovici-Muller
• John Potucek
• Joe Sweeney

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.