Photo: storage.googleapis.comNH · Officeholder
DState Representative · District Merrimack 17
On the ballot Nov 3, 2026: New Hampshire House Merrimack 17
Beth Richards is a Democratic state representative from Merrimack District 17 who has served since December 7, 2022, and is seeking re-election on November 3, 2026, after advancing from the September 8, 2026 primary.[1]
Richards earned a B.A. in art history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993, according to Ballotpedia.[1] Her career experience includes owning Local Baskit and working as principal of Organized Communications, development and marketing director of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, and senior consultant with M+R Strategic Services.[1] She also served as state vice president for development of the American Cancer Society.[1]
Ballotpedia lists Richards on the Environment and Agriculture Committee in 2017 and 2019-2020, and on the Legislative Administration Committee in 2021-2022 and 2023-2024.[1]
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Beth Richards is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for New Hampshire House Merrimack 17 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Democrats voted. How topics are assigned
Most contested
relative to parental notice for non-academic surveys in public schools.
Dec 17, 2025 · Failed 181–170 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
relative to prohibiting obscene or harmful sexual materials in schools.
Bars schools from giving minor students material harmful to minors, requires school boards to adopt a parent complaint and appeal process, and lets aggrieved persons, the attorney general, or the education department sue schools not following it, for at least $1,000 per violation.
Dec 17, 2025 · Failed 183–167 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
repealing the child care grant program administered by the department of health and human services.
Repeals a 2025 requirement that the Department of Health and Human Services include full funding for certain child care workforce programs in its two-year budget request.
Mar 11, 2026 · Passed 170–153 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Bars the health department from seeking SNAP work-requirement waivers without legislative approval or loosening eligibility standards unless federal law requires, mandates regular data checks of recipients' income, incarceration, lottery winnings, and citizenship, and removes out-of-state-only users found nonresident or unresponsive.
Mar 11, 2026 · Passed 172–161 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
relative to the reductions from the default budget for official ballot town meetings.
Changes how towns with official-ballot meetings calculate their default budget, reducing it for salaries and benefits of eliminated positions and of positions vacant since before the prior year's budget, and basing pay on actual salaries of filled positions.
Dec 17, 2025 · Failed 178–175 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
relative to state fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures.
On the version voted Jun 26, 2025: Makes the law, fee and program changes that carry out the state budget for fiscal 2026 and 2027, including allowing video lottery terminals, adding Medicaid premiums for enrollees above set income levels, barring diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public entities, and changing education aid.
Apr 10, 2025 · Failed 177–185 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Ends the state refugee resettlement program in the health and human services department, requires its contracts to be terminated, and bars state agencies from accepting or spending money on refugee resettlement, including payments to towns or nonprofit groups.
Mar 11, 2026 · Passed 170–164 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Lets public and private entities separate people by biological sex in shared bathrooms and locker rooms, certain sports, and prisons and similar secure facilities without it counting as discrimination; government buildings that do so must also offer a single-occupancy bathroom open to all.
Mar 11, 2026 · Failed 156–171 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Defines female and male by biology, requires bathrooms and locker rooms in public schools and town-owned buildings to be used by sex, lets businesses open to the public do the same, houses inmates by sex, and bars citing gender identity to access single-sex spaces.
Mar 5, 2026 · Passed 181–164 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Mar 12, 2026 · Passed 179–161 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
relative to exemption from immunization requirements on the basis of religious belief.
Lets a parent or guardian claim a religious exemption from childhood vaccination requirements with only a signed written statement that the child has not been immunized because of religious belief, replacing the reference to a required form.
Dec 17, 2025 · Failed 176–175 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
As introduced, bars public and charter schools from holding vaccination clinics during school hours and requires a parent or guardian to be present whenever a child is vaccinated at a school clinic; school nurses' existing duties are unaffected.
Mar 11, 2026 · Passed 172–154 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Mar 26, 2026 · Passed 189–162 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
relative to the phasing out of the minimum electric renewable portfolio standard.
Mar 13, 2025 · Passed 189–173 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Requires electric utilities to offer alternative net metering tariffs under a 2017 utility commission order, sets terms for industrial customer-generators between 1 and 5 megawatts, and allows energy storage with net metering under Department of Energy installation rules.
Apr 23, 2026 · Passed 181–158 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
repealing the state housing champion designation and grant program.
As introduced, repeals the state's housing champion designation and grant program, along with its dedicated fund and related reporting requirements.
Feb 5, 2026 · Passed 185–166 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
(New Title) relative to regulated conditional deposits.
On the version voted Aug 19, 2026: Lets landlords accept an extra deposit of up to one month's rent from applicants who fail disclosed screening criteria such as credit score, income, prior evictions, unpaid judgments or references, with written notice and a right to re-screening; also says advance rent need not be escrowed.
May 21, 2026 · Passed 180–162 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
relative to the housing finance authority's affordable housing guarantee program.
Creates a Housing Finance Authority program guaranteeing 80 percent of principal on approved lenders' affordable housing loans, capped at $30 million per lender a year and $300 million outstanding, backed by the state's full faith and credit.
Feb 5, 2026 · Passed 186–162 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
relative to the issuance of drivers' licenses for aliens temporarily residing in New Hampshire.
Tightens rules for driver's licenses issued to noncitizens living in the state temporarily, bars renewals for noncitizens without proof of permanent residency, bars licenses for asylees until permanent residency is granted, and requires a distinct marking on such licenses.
Mar 13, 2025 · Passed 198–162 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
As passed by the House, requires commercial driver's license tests in English only, without interpreters except under federal exemptions, and makes drivers licensed in the past five years who tested in another language or with an interpreter retest in English within 90 days or lose their license.
Mar 12, 2026 · Passed 194–156 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
As introduced, requires new residents with out-of-state driver's licenses to notify the state if they leave within 60 days or their license expires, directs motor vehicle officials to send notices to people over 30 days past deadlines, and appropriates $40,000 for computer upgrades.
Feb 6, 2025 · Passed 206–147 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
preventing the dissemination of deepfake materials of political candidates before an election.
As introduced, bars distributing deepfakes of candidates, election officials or parties within 90 days of an election unless labeled as manipulated, and lets depicted candidates and officials sue. Exempts news reports, satire, parody and platforms hosting others' content.
Mar 20, 2025 · Passed 201–169 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Voted against most of their party on 2 of 318 party-divided votes on file.
relative to on-premises licenses for licensed barbershops and salons.
What it does: Splits the liquor license for barbershops and salons into two tiers: a $100 license to serve one free drink per customer appointment and a $480 license to sell one drink per appointment, and requires an annual state r…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 40–113, Republicans 133–57
May 7, 2026Official record ↗
reducing the minimum allowable speed limit on locally controlled roads.
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 46–105, Republicans 171–5
Apr 23, 2026Official record ↗
The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank
With most of their party · Passed 170–164 · Yes 170–No 164 · Democrats 0–156, Republicans 169–8
Mar 11, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Failed 156–171 · Yes 156–No 171 · Democrats 154–1, Republicans 2–169
Mar 11, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 172–161 · Yes 172–No 161 · Democrats 0–155, Republicans 171–6
Mar 11, 2026Official record ↗
relative to parental notice for non-academic surveys in public schools.
With most of their party · Failed 181–170 · Yes 181–No 170 · Democrats 0–163, Republicans 180–7
Dec 17, 2025Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 181–164 · Yes 181–No 164 · Democrats 0–160, Republicans 180–4
Mar 5, 2026Official record ↗
relative to the reductions from the default budget for official ballot town meetings.
With most of their party · Failed 178–175 · Yes 178–No 175 · Democrats 0–163, Republicans 177–12
Dec 17, 2025Official record ↗
relative to prohibiting obscene or harmful sexual materials in schools.
With most of their party · Failed 183–167 · Yes 183–No 167 · Democrats 0–162, Republicans 182–5
Dec 17, 2025Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 179–161 · Yes 179–No 161 · Democrats 0–157, Republicans 178–4
Mar 12, 2026Official record ↗
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
Motion: Veto Override
Motion: Veto Override
Motion: Veto Override
Requires health care institutions to notify employees who provide abortion services each year that they may request an accommodation for religious or moral objections to directly participating in abortions and may complain to the attorney general, who must report substantiated complaints annually.
Motion: Veto Override
Motion: Veto Override
Requires the labor commissioner to give employers at least 30 days' notice before a visit or inspection and at least 30 days to answer document or interview demands, with exceptions for recent violators, imminent safety risks, likely evidence destruction, certain safety inspections and owner consent.
Motion: Veto Override
Motion: Veto Override
Motion: Veto Override
Lets public bodies issue emergency no-trespass orders for public property lasting up to 35 days, with longer orders needing a roll call vote, a one-year maximum, and a right to a hearing and appeal to superior court.
Motion: Veto Override
Requires school boards and charter school trustees to adopt a policy barring non-school persons, and school-employed attorneys, paralegals or law enforcement, from questioning a minor student without written parental permission, and to ask adult students whether to notify parents; child-welfare inquiries excepted.
Motion: Veto Override
Lets landlords accept an extra deposit of up to one month's rent from applicants who fail disclosed screening criteria such as credit score, income, prior evictions, unpaid judgments or references, with written notice and a right to re-screening; also says advance rent need not be escrowed.
Showing 10 of 571 votes in this collection. Coverage may be incomplete; each entry links to the official record.