By Rep. ANITA BURROUGHS
Recently, Rep. Travis Corcoran (R-Weare) made statewide news, but not in a good way.
He posted on X: “We need a final solution for theater kids in politics,” in response to an invitation to a legislative karaoke night hosted by Rep. Jessica Grill, who is Jewish.
For those unfamiliar, the phrase “final solution” was used by Nazi leaders to describe their plan to commit genocide against European Jews.
That’s not a throwaway line. It’s not edgy humor. It’s a phrase with a very specific and horrific meaning.
Speaker Sherman Packard and Minority Leader Alexis Simpson both condemned Corcoran’s statement. But beyond that, there was silence where it mattered most.
There was no public statement from Governor Ayotte or Majority Leader Jason Osborne. No call for accountability. Just silence. And that silence speaks volumes.
This stands in sharp contrast to what happened in 2020. Then-Speaker Steve Shurtleff asked Rep. Richard Komi (D-Manchester) to resign over a social media comment widely viewed as dismissive of survivors of sexual violence. Komi stepped down.
Leadership acted then. Why not now?
Deputy House Speaker Steve Smith has said that meaningful action would require a majority of lawmakers to agree it’s warranted: “We can condemn it, but there is nothing we can do about it.”
I disagree.
Republican leadership has tools…if they choose to use them. They could pressure Corcoran to resign or rally their caucus to support expulsion. Leader Osborne has shown, time and again, that he can deliver votes when he wants to.
Short of that, they could at least make clear that this kind of rhetoric has consequences, including the option of supporting a serious primary challenger.
And recent elections show that even “safe” districts aren’t immune to voter backlash. Bobbi Boudman’s victory in a traditionally Republican district (Wolfeboro, Tuftonboro and Ossipee) underscores that point.
So why does this matter?
I’ll answer that personally, as a Jewish member of the New Hampshire House.
My grandfather Max came to the United States alone at age 13 from what is now Poland, fleeing the early threats that would later become the Holocaust. He spoke no English. Years later, much of his family was murdered, some at Auschwitz and Dachau.
Max was one of the kindest men I’ve ever known. We lived in the same two-family home, and I saw him every day growing up.
I never experienced antisemitism until I served in the New Hampshire State House.
Several years ago, two state representatives were brought before the Ethics Committee for posting antisemitic content. One sat across from me on the Commerce Committee. She never apologized and even suggested we should get together because we had so much in common.
No, thank you.
Neither representative faced any serious repercussion for their behavior.
Corcoran’s comment is not an isolated incident. It’s part of a broader pattern, of rhetoric and legislation that seeks to marginalize and demonize others.
And when leadership responds with silence, it sends a message.
Not just to those of us who are directly affected, but to everyone watching.
If there is no accountability from within the State House, then it must come from outside of it.
Vote out state representatives who believe they can act with impunity because they are protected by leadership or insulated by district lines.
Help your community recruit strong candidates from both sides of the aisle who reject the politics of hate and are willing to represent all their constituents, regardless of religion, race, or sexual orientation. And get out and volunteer to help get these candidates elected. Newly elected representative Bobbi Boudman demonstrated that it can be done.
Rep. Anita Burroughs
State Rep, Bartlett Carroll 2
