By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

MANCHESTER – Four of the seven candidates on the ballot next Tuesday for the Republican Congressional District 1 primary race debated the issues Friday night at the last of the week-long live events on WMUR.

Chris Bright of Derry, Joseph Kelly Levasseur of Manchester, Hollie Noveletsky of Newfields and Russell Prescott of Kingston met the criteria to be included in the debate.

Others who are on the ballot are Max Abramson, Andy Martin, and Walter J. McFarlane III.

Whoever wins the Republican nomination will go up against either incumbent U.S. Congressman Chris Pappas, D-NH of Manchester, or his primary challenger, Kevin Rondeau of Manchester. 

There will be no debate between Rondeau and Pappas on WMUR but the television station held five debates this week for seats in Congress and for Governor.

Bright is a businessman and West Point graduate and combat veteran. 

Levasseur is a lawyer and at-large member of the Manchester Board of Aldermen.

Noveletsky owns Novel Iron Works and Rose Steel in Greenland, and is a nurse.

Prescott is an engineer, business owner of a water treatment company and long-time public servant, having been a state senator and Executive Councilor.  

Levasseur said Congress needs a tax cap like Manchester and he would be a staunch conservative in Washington if he gets there.

Noveletsky said she has never laid off people at her iron and steel business and said the nation needs to shut down the border and take care of people here.

Prescott said he would go to Washington to deal with “needs versus wants.”

Asked about the war in Ukraine with Russia, Bright said he would support it financially rather than sending American troops.

“We have to send strong signals to our allies,” he said.

Prescott said the nation needs to care for America first but should have compassion for people fighting in their own backyard. But if it is done at the expense of Americans that should be considered.

Noveletsky said we need to find an “off ramp” and we should not be spending money on Ukrainian small businesses.

Levasseur said the war there happened because of a weak Biden administration and would not have happened under former President Donald Trump, whom he supports.

Abortion was another question. 

Noveletsky said the Dobbs decision put it out of the federal level and she supported that. 

Bright said abortion is a polarizing issue. The Dobbs decision was right because it put the issue back to the states and that empowers the people.

He said he would never support a federal ban on abortion.

Levasseur said if a ban came that had bipartisan support, he would look at that as a potential to solve the issue.

He said he would not vote to change anything and supports it as a state’s right.

Prescott said he is pro-life. The Dobbs decision which turns it back to the state is correct and it should not be a top-down decision from Congress, he said.

Prescott said this is the most important election in a lifetime. He said the way to get out of this is to have Trump win and if not, “we are on a road towards socialism.”

Levasseur said if we don’t change this administration, “we are not going anywhere.” While he said people “don’t love the guy, they love his policies.”

Bright said, “I don’t subscribe to fanboy politics,” but when he looks at what Trump stands for, he feels comfortable with him.

Noveletsky said she has been working for the American worker and buying American. And she said aligning herself with Trump is because he shows strength and the way forward.

Border security was also a question posed to each candidate. 

Levasseur said the bipartisan bill that was blocked in Congress was awful.

“Trump was right,” he said, “You need to stop the flow.”

Prescott said the bill was a “poison pill” and just a show to make it seem that Democrats would support it.

“That is called stonewalling,” he said.

Noveletsky said we do not need two tiers of immigration. 

“We need to shut down illegal immigration,” she said and the bill would not have done that.

Bright said he knows the border wall cannot be for every inch of that but there are technological ways to monitor it.

Housing was addressed and the state and nation’s desperate need for more of it.

Noveletsky said first we need to get interest rates down by reducing spending. She said mandates need to be stopped including “green” initiatives.

Bright said housing is a supply and demand issue and the nation is going to have a bigger problem.

“Why don’t we encourage the trades?” he asked, referring to trade schools.

Prescott said balancing the budget is key and that will allow the interest rates to come down and help housing and affordability.

Levasseur said letting in people over the border has added to the housing crisis.

The primary election is next Tuesday.