Warmington Punches Back Over 'Opioid Lobbyist' Attacks

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

Less than two weeks after Democrat Cinde Warmington entered the race for governor, Republicans have made it clear they intend to keep up attacks, labeling her an “opioid lobbyist.”

And Warmington has made it just as clear she has no intention of backing down, instead attempting to turn the tables on Gov. Kelly Ayotte for taking campaign cash from drug companies in the past.

It took Warmington months to decide to run, but just 48 hours for Republicans to launch a campaign hitting her on the opioid issue, posting ads reading, “Lobbyist Cinde Warmington sided with the opioid industry instead of us.”

It’s Warmington’s work as a paid lobbyist for Purdue Pharma in 2002 that has drawn the most scrutiny. During that time, she reportedly testified against a legislative proposal that would have required patients to try alternative painkillers before being prescribed OxyContin. Accounts from the period quote Warmington describing OxyContin as a “miracle drug” with “very few side effects,” statements that have since been highlighted by her political opponents in both parties.

Beyond her direct lobbying for Purdue, Warmington’s legal representation of PainCare, a network of New Hampshire pain management clinics, has also fueled criticism. Those clinics have been characterized by some as “pill mills” that contributed to the proliferation of opioid addiction in the state. Opponents have also pointed to campaign donations Warmington received from the founder of PainCare and related entities as evidence of her ties to the industry.

During the 2024 Democratic gubernatorial primary, former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig repeatedly attacked Warmington on the opioid issue, eventually defeating her by six points. Democrats have warned, both privately and publicly, that the issue could be enough to keep Warmington out of the Corner Office.

“I spent 12 months explaining to the Democratic establishment why supporting an OxyContin lobbyist would not be a good look for the party,” Warmington’s primary opponent Jon Kiper posted on social media. “How much money and effort are they going to waste this year?”

Republican strategist Michael Dennehy has a similar view.

“This one issue will doom Warmington’s candidacy,” Dennehy told NHJournal. “The Ayotte campaign will beat it into the ground so that every Granite Stater knows Cinde Warmington was an ‘opioid lobbyist.’”

Perhaps. But Warmington isn’t rolling over and taking it.

Two years ago, she tried to play defense against Craig, arguing the attacks were either unfair or irrelevant. She also sought to justify her actions by highlighting her commitment to addressing the opioid crisis. As a former Executive Councilor from 2021 to 2025, she advocated for expanding substance use disorder treatment and mental health services.

This election cycle, however, she’s on offense, arguing that Ayotte has at least as big a problem with Big Pharma as she does.

On WMUR’s “CloseUp” Sunday, Warmington was asked about the attacks on her record as an opioid lobbyist.

“I am not surprised that Kelly Ayotte is attacking me for legal work I did 24 years ago, before the lies of Purdue Pharma were known,” she answered.

“I think it is the height of hypocrisy, though, because Kelly Ayotte herself, as attorney general, was uniquely positioned to sound the alarm about what Purdue Pharma was doing in this state, uniquely positioned to warn doctors and to save lives. And she didn’t do that.”

Warmington also accused Ayotte of “collecting contributions from Big Pharma, the opioid industry, hundreds of thousands of dollars. She even took money from the Sackler family, the owners of Purdue Pharma, as late as 2016, when everybody knew what Purdue Pharma was up to.

“I think that Kelly Ayotte attacking me is just because she doesn’t want to be held accountable for her own record.”

It’s a bold — perhaps even brazen — strategy. WMUR’s Adam Sexton noted that if Ayotte had “sounded the alarm” about OxyContin 20 years ago, she would have been calling out Cinde Warmington.

Team Ayotte also fired back, criticizing Warmington for refusing to apologize for her advocacy on behalf of opioids that did so much damage to Granite State families.

“Opioid lobbyist Cinde Warmington refuses to apologize and take responsibility for misleading the public by claiming that OxyContin was a ‘miracle drug,’” said Ayotte campaign spokesman John Corbett. “Not to mention her many years spent defending one of New England’s most notorious pill mills, which was also one of the biggest donors to her political campaigns. Cinde is right — we will keep telling voters about her past work because it disqualifies her from ever serving as governor.”

With an unpopular Donald Trump at the top of the Republican ticket and a likely sweep of the federal races by Democrats, it’s impossible to say Warmington will never serve as governor. It’s true that history gives first-term governors the edge when seeking a second term, but it’s also true that history suggests a difficult midterm ahead for the GOP.

The good news for Democrats is that Warmington appears ready for a fight. The bad news is that fighting over her work on behalf of Big Pharma is hardly a win.

“We’re happy to talk about opioids every day between now and November,” one Ayotte ally said.

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.