Photo: nhhousedems.orgNH · Officeholder
DState Representative · District Hillsborough 5
On the ballot Nov 3, 2026: New Hampshire House Hillsborough 5
Dale Swanson is a Democratic member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Hillsborough 5, where he assumed office on December 4, 2024, and is seeking re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election.[1] A retired U.S. Air Force veteran and engineer, he says he is passionate about women's healthcare rights, the environment and gun safety.[1][2]
Dale Swanson was born in Mankato, Minnesota, and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1979 to 1993.[1] He earned a high school diploma from Mankato East High School, a bachelor's degree from the United States Air Force Academy in 1979, and a graduate degree from the University of Idaho in 1995.[1] His career experience includes working as a lead engineer in global navigation satellite systems modernization.[1]
In a Ballotpedia survey, Swanson said he served in fighter jet operations from 1981 to 1993, including deployments to NATO nations and combat duties in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War.[2] His stated key messages included letting patients and healthcare professionals make medical decisions without interference from arbitrary laws, moving toward fossil fuel independence, and addressing gun violence while preserving gun use for sport and protection.[2]
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Dale Swanson is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for New Hampshire House Hillsborough 5 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.
Susan ElbergerState Representative · District Hillsborough 5DAlso on the 2026 ballot: New Hampshire House Hillsborough 5New HampshireTheir 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 ↗
Lets a withdrawing district's voters alone decide, by a 3/5 vote, to leave a cooperative school district, requires voters in all towns a school serves to approve closing it unless the host town keeps it open by agreement, and has boards review governing documents every three years.
Jun 4, 2026 · Passed 179–161 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
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 ↗
As introduced, allows public and private entities to separate people by biological sex in multi-user bathrooms and locker rooms and in sports where strength, speed, or endurance generally gives males an advantage, and states that doing so is not unlawful discrimination.
Mar 5, 2026 · Failed 168–180 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
As introduced, bars public colleges and universities from regulating the possession or carrying of firearms and non-lethal weapons on campus, and lets people harmed by such rules sue the school for damages and court orders.
Feb 5, 2026 · Passed 188–165 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
enabling counties to change the dates of their biennial budgets.
Lets counties, if commissioners agree and a majority of county voters approve, move their two-year budget to years without a state election, and revises how towns adopt, rescind and elect budget committees and how first cooperative school budget committee members are appointed.
May 14, 2026 · Passed 164–145 · 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 ↗
Requires cities and council-run towns to hold a public hearing and roll-call vote before overriding a tax or spending cap and to print the vote on tax bills, and has the state revenue department check and enforce local budget caps.
May 14, 2026 · Passed 164–150 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
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 ↗
repealing the New Hampshire vaccine association.
Repeals the state law that establishes the New Hampshire Vaccine Association, eliminating the association's chapter of state law entirely.
Mar 6, 2025 · Passed 189–181 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
modifying the requirements of suicide prevention education policies in schools.
As introduced, changes school suicide prevention training so staff complete it within 30 days of being hired and every two years after, instead of at least two hours every year.
Mar 5, 2026 · Passed 183–167 · 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
As introduced, requires the housing finance authority to run a homebuying assistance program for essential workers such as health care workers, first responders, educators, and service members, appropriating $750,000 for fiscal 2027 and $1.5 million a year starting July 2028.
Feb 5, 2026 · Passed 179–166 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
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 ↗
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 department of safety and department of motor vehicle training and testing materials.
Requires driver's license exams and related materials to be in English only, with American Sign Language allowed, bars translators and translation devices during exams, and stops the motor vehicle division from acquiring or distributing other-language materials, starting January 1, 2026.
Mar 26, 2025 · Passed 187–159 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
relative to electric-vehicle charging station funding.
Lets towns use revolving funds to install and maintain electric-vehicle charging stations, and bars parking in signed charging spaces unless the vehicle is charging, with a minimum $62 fine.
May 22, 2025 · Passed 195–163 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
prohibiting the sale of location and other sensitive data regarding children.
As introduced, bars businesses covered by the state's consumer data privacy law from selling location data and other sensitive data about children, starting January 1, 2027.
Feb 12, 2026 · Passed 214–145 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
establishing consumer protections for digital access transaction kiosks.
Apr 23, 2026 · Passed 214–140 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Most contested
Urges the federal government to reject compliance with the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and asks other state legislatures to join in that request.
Feb 13, 2025 · Passed 204–163 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Bars releasing New Hampshire National Guard members from the state into active-duty combat unless Congress has declared war or formally called out the Guard under the U.S. Constitution, and requires the governor to comply.
Jan 8, 2026 · Failed 159–182 · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Voted against most of their party on 7 of 428 party-divided votes on file.
Most often on: Health & care (3), Rights & public safety (2), Climate & energy (1)
relative to utility ownership of natural gas and nuclear power generation facilities.
What it does: On the version voted Mar 26, 2026: Lets electric utilities own or invest in natural gas and nuclear generating units of up to 5 megawatts each, capped at 10 percent of their peak load, and seek to recover those costs…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 7–149, Republicans 183–0
Feb 19, 2026Official record ↗
relative to the practice of optometry and authorization to perform ophthalmic laser procedures.
What it does: On the version voted Apr 9, 2026: Lets optometrists certified by the state optometry board perform three eye laser procedures (capsulotomy, trabeculoplasty and peripheral iridotomy) after approved training and a set n…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 78–76, Republicans 55–128
Jan 7, 2026Official record ↗
relative to the practice of optometry and authorization to perform ophthalmic laser procedures.
What it does: On the version voted Apr 9, 2026: Lets optometrists certified by the state optometry board perform three eye laser procedures (capsulotomy, trabeculoplasty and peripheral iridotomy) after approved training and a set n…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 61–92, Republicans 132–50
Jan 7, 2026Official record ↗
expanding the crime of endangering the welfare of a child.
What it does: On the version voted May 8, 2025: Expands child endangerment to include conduct that places a child under 18 in danger of serious bodily injury or death (class B felony) or causes such injury or death (class A felony)…
Voted no · most Democrats voted yes · Democrats 147–3, Republicans 7–184
May 1, 2025Official record ↗
expanding the crime of endangering the welfare of a child.
What it does: On the version voted May 8, 2025: Expands child endangerment to include conduct that places a child under 18 in danger of serious bodily injury or death (class B felony) or causes such injury or death (class A felony)…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 6–144, Republicans 183–8
May 1, 2025Official record ↗
The votes in their chamber that came out closest and most divided by party, among those they voted on. How we rank
enabling counties to change the dates of their biennial budgets.
With most of their party · Passed 164–145 · Yes 164–No 145 · Democrats 0–144, Republicans 163–1
May 14, 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 179–166 · Yes 179–No 166 · Democrats 0–160, Republicans 178–6
Feb 5, 2026Official 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 164–150 · Yes 164–No 150 · Democrats 0–145, Republicans 163–5
May 14, 2026Official record ↗
With most of their party · Passed 179–161 · Yes 179–No 161 · Democrats 0–156, Republicans 179–4
Jun 4, 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.