Vice President Kamala Harris rolled out a plan to support entrepreneurs with expanded tax credits and streamlined tax filings during a campaign stop in North Hampton on Wednesday, her first visit to New Hampshire since securing the Democratic Party’s nomination last month.
Harris spoke on the back lawn of Throwback Brewery, surrounded by cheering supporters who filled risers under a hot September sun. She said the brewery, which was founded in 2011 by a team of female entrepreneurs, is a model for how a small business can grow to become something more to its local community.
“They’re building a better future for their employees, and for the people they love in their communities,” said Harris. “And by extension, they’re building a stronger middle class and a stronger America for us all.”
Harris used the visit to unveil a series of proposals to kickstart what she termed an “opportunity economy,” something she said could trigger the creation of 25 million new small businesses during her first term.
“My vision of an opportunity economy is one where everyone can compete and have a real chance to succeed,” said Harris.
Under her proposal, small businesses would see the tax write off for startup expenses grow from $5,000 to $50,000. The plan calls for a streamlined tax filing for entrepreneurs, similar to the standard deductions some individual tax filers use. Harris also said she would push for more federal contracts to be awarded to small businesses, and to expand programs that offer loans to startups.
To help fund the initiatives, Harris also rolled out a proposal to raise the long-term capital gains tax on investment income for those who make more than $1 million annually from the current rate of 20% to 28%.
Harris last visited the state in 2021; both she and President Biden declined to campaign here during the presidential primary contest as the Democratic National Committee sought to minimize the influence of New Hampshire in the 2024 nominating process.
Recent local polling shows Harris with a lead over Republican rival Donald Trump in New Hampshire.
She urged supporters to ignore those polls, though, “because we are running as the underdog.”
“We know what they're capable of on the other side,” she added.
New Hampshire hasn’t voted for a Republican in a presidential race since 2000, when George W. Bush defeated Al Gore. Trump came within 3,000 votes of defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Many of the supporters in attendance Wednesday arrived via shuttle buses from a nearby water park for an event whose location the campaign declined to make public until just a few hours before it started. Many said they relished the opportunity to see the newly minted presidential candidate.
“I’m very, very enthusiastic,” said Carol Much of Salem. “Like, this is more exciting to me than even the Obama race.”
Richard Gouin, who attended the rally from Portsmouth, doesn’t necessarily see the election as exciting.
For him, it's a pivotal moment in American history.
“This country needs to stay focused on being a democracy, and if the other guy gets in, it's going to change the way this country is forever,” said Gouin.
Trump has not visited the state since formally securing his party’s nomination in July. Trump did host rallies in the days leading up to the January presidential primary in the state, where he defeated former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Trump’s four years in office are still seared in the memory of Lisa Kaminski, a Democrat from Chester. She said Trump’s appointment of Supreme Court justices who successfully overturned Roe v. Wade has made her a single issue voter: reproductive rights.
And she doesn’t think she’s alone.
“One issue. It’s not how it used to be, but it is now,” she said. “I’m bringing 20 women to the polls, and they’re all pissed off.”
Twenty votes likely won’t be a decisive margin for any candidate, but it won’t hurt as Harris looks to defeat Trump and claim New Hampshire’s four electoral votes.
