The right experience for the job. And also, a friend.
Somersworth, like so many communities on the seacoast, is at a crossroads.
It needs a leader with proven experience in community building, small business, and collaborative leadership. But perhaps more than this, it needs a leader who knows and understands the struggles and hopes of its residents. Crystal Paradis is the best pick for Somersworth’s next mayor because not only does she know this, she’s lived it.
A city that has been jostled with an affordable housing crisis, a main street economy that is always but not quite on the verge of rebirth, Somersworth needs a leader who knows what it’s like. She grew up not far from Somersworth city hall in a community that also saw its future changed by forces around it. Somersworth’s affordable housing is what brought Crystal back to Somersworth, and the risk of displacement is one she knows all too well.
My time working in food service at my parent’s Dairy Queen revealed deep inequalities in our regional economy and provided a perspective I’ve taken with me to elected office. Crystal knows what it’s like to work multiple jobs trying to make ends meet, and has dedicated her life to make her neighbors, no matter their background, feel more connected in their communities. In her time on Council, she has accomplished great things — but has shared the frustrations of residents being told to wait for much-needed improvements.
One’s thing for sure, with Crystal at the helm, there will be no delaying the future Somersworth and its residents need.
I’ve spent my adult life advocating for affordable housing. There’s probably no more urgent need at this moment for the Seacoast — and Somersworth is a prime example. Somersworth cannot wait for serious changes to its zoning and response to the shifting housing market.
I endorse Crystal Paradis for Mayor of Somersworth because I have known Crystal for many years and have witnessed first hand her commitment to a personal, interwoven future for our Seacoast communities. She does – and will continue to, as Mayor – bring fresh ideas into the modern challenges of how to engage and build a more liveable and affordable community. I am fully supportive of Crystal’s innovation, work ethic and commitment to collaboration. As a state senator, my priority is to put the people of my district first, and do what is best for them through inclusive and compassionate policy. Crystal’s priority is the same: to improve the quality of life, happiness, and well-being of all Somersworth residents.
— Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, NH State Senator