Heath Howard is the latest entrant in the Democratic primary to succeed Rep. Chris Pappas in New Hampshire First Congressional District. Howard, from Barrington, is in his second term in the New Hampshire House, representing a very purple district in Strafford County.

He’s unusually young for a congressional candidate (he is 25), and for many voters, that may be an initial point of resistance. But with none of the seven candidates older than about 50, age may end up being less of a factor than usual. And Howard definitely tries to use it as a proxy for “change”.

I would definitely listen to his story about how he was nearly paralyzed at age 15 in a skiing accident, and how his mother, who is a physical therapist, was critical in navigating the health care system at a time of medical crisis for Howard.

One of the goals as I seek to improve my performance in my podcasts and Substack Live programs is to draw out the personal stories that, in my 25 years in politics, always deeply influence how candidates see the world. I think we got some of that insight in this conversation.