Latest news with #UniversityofNewHampshire
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New poll suggests high concern about NH housing, but mixed appetite for zoning reform
The poll, released Thursday, asked respondents whether they support legislation that would require cities and towns to relax their zoning policies to make it easier to build a home. (Getty Images) Granite Staters continue to overwhelmingly cite the scarcity of affordable housing as the most pressing concern, a new poll from the University of New Hampshire suggests. Faced with a range of options that included taxes, education, jobs, and cost of living, 36% of respondents to the poll said housing is 'the most important problem facing New Hampshire' — far and away the biggest share. The next highest category was taxes; 10% of respondents chose that as the most important issue. But when it comes to the most likely legislative approach to address the housing shortfall this year, residents are more divided. The poll, released Thursday, asked respondents whether they support legislation that would require cities and towns to relax their zoning policies to make it easier to build a home. Thirty-eight percent supported that legislation — 15% strongly — but 40% opposed it. Of those that were against it, 18% were strongly opposed. The response comes as the Republican-led Legislature has passed a pair of bills that would bar municipalities from making certain zoning restrictions; both bills are making their way to Gov. Kelly Ayotte's desk. House Bill 631 would require municipalities to allow multi-family developments in commercial zones, such as shopping areas. And House Bill 577 would allow homeowners to build a detached accessory dwelling unit by right and expand the size limitations to do so. The issue of housing scarcity dominated both Democratic and Republican campaign platforms in 2024, and lawmakers in both parties have found common ground in legislation that would forcibly remove local zoning barriers to housing. Some groups, such as the New Hampshire Municipal Association, are opposed to those bills, arguing that cities and towns should be able to craft their own zoning codes and should react to the housing shortage with approaches supported by their residents. Republican lawmakers have shown less support this year for devoting state resources to encourage more development; the House-passed budget would eliminate the Housing Champion Program, a 2023 effort to give special grants and state support to towns that voluntarily changed their zoning codes to be more friendly to housing. House and Senate lawmakers have also blocked efforts to increase the amount of money going to the state's affordable housing fund, which is currently allocated $5 million of state tax revenues per year. The May 29 UNH poll was released three months after a poll conducted by YouGov on behalf of Housing Action New Hampshire, a housing advocacy group, appeared to show more support for zoning changes. In that poll, conducted March 3 to 10, more than 75% of respondents supported policies to 'allow more homes near business and shopping districts,' allow 'flexibility for paved parking areas,' 'allow homes on slightly smaller lots,' and 'make it easier to build accessory dwelling units.' The Housing Action poll also found that 54% of respondents said building more homes is more important for New Hampshire than protecting the character of neighborhoods from change, compared to 35% who said the opposite and 11% who were not sure. The Housing Action poll worded its questions differently than the UNH poll; the former poll asked about legislation that would 'allow' homeowners to build certain structures, while the latter poll asked about legislation that would 'require' cities and towns to change their zoning codes to achieve that. 'Granite Staters are about evenly divided on this issue,' states the UNH survey report.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Republicans' Chances of Beating Dan McKee for Rhode Island Governor—Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new poll delivered red flags for Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee, a Democrat, ahead of his reelection bid next year. Why It Matters The poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire, suggests that a majority of Rhode Islanders are unhappy with McKee's leadership ahead of the 2026 midterms, when Republicans could be eyeing the race as a potential opportunity to flip, despite the state's long-standing record of being solidly Democratic. Although the poll did not ask about specific head-to-head matchups for the election, the results could be troubling for Democrats in the state. The state has not elected a Republican governor since 2006, though it did support independent former Governor Lincoln Chafee in 2011. Newsweek reached out to McKee's campaign via email for comment. What to Know Only 19 percent of Rhode Islanders approve of McKee's job performance, while 71 percent disapprove of him, according to the survey of 653 Rhode Island residents from May 22 to May 26, 2025. The poll had a margin of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. It found that 74 percent of all Rhode Island voters—including 60 percent of Democrats—do not believe McKee deserves to be reelected; only 11 percent said they think he deserves to be reelected. Thirty-two percent of respondents said they want to see Democrat Helena Foulkes, a businesswoman who challenged McKee in 2022, to run again, while 23 percent said they want Republican Ashley Kalus to jump into the race. Only 19 percent said they want to see former Governor Gina Raimondo, who served as Commerce secretary under former President Joe Biden, run. At the same time, the poll found that President Donald Trump is also unpopular in the state. Only 37 percent of respondents gave him positive marks, compared to 61 percent who disapproved of his performance during his first few months back in the Oval Office. Joe Powers, chairman of the Rhode Island Republican Party, described the poll as a "glaring reflection of the Governor's failed leadership and the growing dissatisfaction among Rhode Islanders" in a statement to Newsweek, pointing to the closure of the Washington Bridge, pay raises for the governor's cabinet and the sanctuary state designation as key issues the state is facing. "The upcoming 2026 gubernatorial race, while traditionally leaning Democratic, is poised to be highly competitive. The Republican Party of Rhode Island is committed to presenting a viable alternative—one that prioritizes transparency, fiscal responsibility, and the genuine needs of our citizens," he said. Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee meets with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in Warwick, Rhode Island, on May 5, 2021. Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee meets with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in Warwick, Rhode Island, on May 5, 2021. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images While McKee remains unpopular, according to the poll, a Republican victory in the state may not be an easy feat, given the state's Democratic lean. It backed Vice President Kamala Harris by nearly 14 points in 2024 and voted for Biden by more than 20 points in 2020. On the presidential level, Rhode Island has not voted for a Republican since 1984. McKee, who assumed office after Raimondo resigned to join the Biden administration, won his first full term in office in 2022, defeating Kalus by nearly 20 points. What People Are Saying WPRI political analyst Joe Fleming told the Providence-based news station: "The governor has some serious work to do over the next six months or so to show voters that he's doing a good job and deserves reelection. If he can't do that, I think you'll see Democrats lining up to run for the office." McKee told WJAR in March: "I think that we've made a great deal of progress, keeping people safe during the COVID certainly was important, opening the businesses at that time. Keeping people safe when I shut down the bridge, the Washington Bridge, and now we're actually in the process of rebuilding that bridge and have the money in place." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether McKee will face a primary challenge from fellow Democrats or which Republicans may enter the race. The primary is still more than a year away on September 8, 2026. The Cook Political Report currently classifies the race as being Solid Democratic, though Sabato's Crystal Ball classifies it as Likely Democratic.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Poll finds McKee's approval rating slides to 19%, while that same number want Raimondo back
Only 19% of Rhode Island voters approve of the job Gov. Dan McKee is doing, according to a new University of New Hampshire poll. The poll of 653 Rhode Island residents was conducted online and through text message between May 22 and May 26. It found 32% of respondents want former CVS Pharmacy executive Helena Foulkes to run for governor, 23% want former Republican nominee Ashley Kalus to run and 19% want former governor and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to run. Of those three, Foulkes has said she expects to run, Kalus has said she is considering it, and there is no indication Raimondo is seeking to return to Smith Hill. McKee's 19% job approval rating in May declined from 23% in a March UNH poll, and 71% of respondents disapproved of the job he is doing. The survey separately asked voters whether McKee should be reelected next year. Only 11% said he should, versus 74% who said he should not be reelected in 2026. The poll said 60% of self-identified Democrats said McKee should not be reelected in 2026, 88% of independents didn't want him to seek another term and 92% of Republicans. By contrast, 54% of Rhode Islanders polled said U.S. Sen. Jack Reed deserves reelection in 2026 and 33% said he does not deserve reelection. The poll also asked whether voters wanted to ban military-style firearms, with 55% of respondents saying they support banning so-called assault weapons and 37% against such a ban. Thirty-seven percent of Rhode Island poll respondents approved of the job President Donald Trump is doing and 61% disapproved. In March, UNH found Trump's Rhode Island job approval rating was 40% with 59% disapproving of the job he is doing. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: In RI, Gov. Dan McKee sees approval rating slide, along with Trump's
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Poll: McKee's approval rate dips below 20%
12 News Politics Editor Ted Nesi has a complete breakdown of the University of New Hampshire's "Ocean State Poll" at
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Durham Police confirm body of missing UNH student found
Police in Durham say they've positively identified a body found Friday along the shoreline in Newington as belonging to a University of New Hampshire student missing since last fall. Durham Police say officers responded Friday at 3:29 p.m. to Newington after local police reported a resident found a body near the shoreline on Little Bay. An autopsy performed Sunday by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner positively identified the body as Alexis Garcia, a UNH student missing from Durham since Nov. 21. 'Based on the investigation by the Durham Police Department, there is no suspicion of foul play related to this case and the investigation has been closed,' Durham Deputy Police Chief David Holmstock said in a statement. Police found Garcia's black 2021 Mercedes at the Scammell Bridge rest area off Route 4 on Nov. 26 and determined it had been parked there and unoccupied since the evening of Nov. 23. Garcia was originally from Illinois with ties to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force ROTC.
