Shaheen's Shutdown Vote: What NH Voters Really Think

Shaheen's Shutdown Vote: What New Hampshire Voters Really Think

Senator Jeanne Shaheen broke with her party. After 41 days of government shutdown, she voted with Republicans to reopen the government - without the healthcare protections Democrats had been fighting for. Her own daughter, Stefany Shaheen (running for Congress), publicly opposed the deal.

So how do New Hampshire voters actually feel about this? I ran a study with NH voters to find out. The results are more nuanced than the headlines suggest.

The Study: 6 NH Voters, 3 Questions

We asked New Hampshire voters three questions about Senator Shaheen's shutdown vote:

1. Did she make the right call to end the shutdown without healthcare protections?

2. Does breaking with your party (and family) build trust or erode it?

3. How should her office explain this vote to constituents?

Key Finding #1: Grudging Support, Not Celebration

Most voters think Shaheen made the right call to end the shutdown - but they're not happy about losing healthcare protections.

Katlynn, 26, from NH put it simply: "I'm not thrilled the deal skipped ACA credit protections, but dragging a shutdown past 41 days to make a point feels reckless. In my world, shutdowns mean hospitals slow-walk purchases and regular people miss paychecks."

Kyle, 35, agreed: "You flip the breaker back on, then you fight the other fight. Shutdowns punish the wrong folks. My buddy's cousin at TSA in Manchester worked without pay."

The pattern: end the immediate harm first, then continue the fight for healthcare. But voters expect follow-through.

Key Finding #2: Independence Earns Trust - Conditionally

Breaking with the party to end real harm reads as "grown-up governing" to NH voters. The family drama didn't move them - outcomes did.

Marlaina, 63, was direct: "If you'll take heat from your own kid to get people paid and the lights back on, that reads like grown-up work, not grandstanding."

But the trust is conditional. Dennis, 38, put it plainly: "Independence without receipts feels like vibes over outcomes. She blinked before getting anything tangible on healthcare, which makes my stomach knot up."

Key Finding #3: They Want Receipts and Dates

NH voters aren't looking for spin or victory laps. They want concrete follow-through on healthcare - with timelines.

Carey, 43, laid out exactly what would work: "Lead with honesty. 'This was not the deal I wanted. I voted to end a shutdown that was hurting New Hampshire families. I will fix what is missing.' No victory lap, no spin."

Skyler, 35, added: "Lead with harm reduction, own the trade, show the plan. No victory lap, no buzzwords."

What This Means for the Shaheen Office

Based on this research:

Own the tradeoff. Don't pretend the deal was ideal. Acknowledge healthcare protections were sacrificed.

Lead with local harm. TSA workers, shipyard employees, food pantries - concrete NH impacts resonate.

Show the follow-through plan. Voters want receipts and dates on healthcare, not vague promises.

Skip the victory lap. NH voters smell spin. Be honest about the tradeoff.

The Full Study

This research was conducted using Ditto's synthetic voter research platform with New Hampshire voters. Explore the full study here: Senator Shaheen Shutdown Vote Constituent Research.

Want to test your own messaging before it goes out? Ditto delivers constituent feedback in minutes, not months.

What NH Voters Said

Here's the complete feedback from all six New Hampshire voters:

Senator Shaheen is retiring and not running for reelection. Her daughter Stefany is running for Congress and publicly di...

Marlaina Lash, 63, Administrative Assistant, Rural, NH, USA:

If they asked me, I’d tell them to keep it plain, local, and no chest-thumping. Say what happened, own the tradeoff, and stop there. Folks up here smell spin a mile off, especially in February when the plows need paying and the oil tank is sulking empty. I didn’t love losing leverage on healthcare either, but shutting people’s paychecks off to make a point is the D.C. drama club. Get the doors open, then eat the broccoli. Lead with duty, not party: “I voted to reopen government because New Hampshire families needed paychecks and services back on, period. Winter is not the time to play chicken with heating bills.” Own the tradeoff: “I care about healthcare credits. I did not get everything I wanted in that bill, and I won’t pretend otherwise.” Promise the next fight - clean: “With the lights back on, I’ll push a clean measure on healthcare protections. No hostages, no shutdowns.” Keep it New Hampshire: “From shipyard families to TSA at the airport to contractors waiting on invoices - people needed certainty to work. We show up for our jobs here.” Use a simple picture: “You turn the heat back on first, then argue over the thermostat. That is what this vote was.” Respect disagreement, even with family: “Good people, including my daughter, wanted a different approach. I respect that. My call was to end the shutdown and keep fighting on healthcare in daylight.” No victory lap, just accountability: “Hold me to it. Watch my votes on the healthcare credits. I’ll keep at it until we land something that actually sticks.” Zero spin on process: “This was not clever politics. It was basic governance so workers could get paid and the country could function.” Short, steady, no cute slogans. If they talk like that, most Granite Staters will shrug, nod, and get back to work - which is all anyone wanted in the first place.

Carey Parra, 43, Business Analyst, Manchester city, NH, USA:

Here’s what would land with people like me here in NH: Lead with honesty. “This was not the deal I wanted. I voted to end a shutdown that was hurting New Hampshire families. I will fix what is missing.” No victory lap, no spin.Name local pain. Point to our food pantries straining, SBA loans stalled for small shops, TSA and the air traffic folks in Nashua worried about pay, clinics juggling cash in the dead of winter. Keep it here, not DC.Say the quiet part out loud. “Holding out longer had no path to a better bill. Ending the shutdown stopped the bleeding. Now I owe you action on healthcare credits.”Give a concrete plan with dates. “Within 2 weeks I will file or co-sponsor the ACA credit protections. Within 30 days I will push for a committee vote. I will post updates every Friday so you can see movement.” Then actually post receipts.Set a red line. “I will not back another funding bill that plays games with ACA credits. Full stop.”Respect Stefany’s disagreement. “My daughter and I are both fighting for families here. We disagreed on the tactic, not the goal.” Do not dunk on her, do not triangulate.Use plain guardrails, not buzzwords. One-pager, three bullets, short video with captions. Bilingual snippet for Spanish speakers helps, even a simple ‘Lo entiendo, y voy a arreglarlo.’Show up. Host two open Q&As in Manchester and the Seacoast within 10 days. Take tough questions. No staff-only buffer. Quick script I’d use: “Forty-one days was too long. I hated this bill because it left ACA tax credits exposed, but I voted to end a shutdown that was starting to hurt our neighbors - from food pantries to airport workers. This was a stop-the-bleed vote, not the finish line. Here is what I’m doing now: I’m filing the credit protections within 2 weeks, pushing for a vote within 30 days, and I will report progress every Friday. I will not support another funding bill that gambles with your healthcare. You can hold me to it.” Don’ts: Do not brag about bipartisanship.Do not sa...

Skyler Mcendree, 35, Accountant, Manchester city, NH, USA:

Short version: lead with harm reduction, own the trade, show the plan. No victory lap, no buzzwords. Start with the problem, not the politics: shutdowns hurt New Hampshire paychecks today. IRS transcripts stalled, SBA queues froze, VITA got jammed. I voted to stop the bleeding.Say the quiet part out loud: the deal was thin on ACA credits. That is a real gap. I did not like it.Draw the line on values: I will break with any party if Granite Staters are taking on avoidable harm. That is triage, not ideology.Lay out a concrete follow-through: 30-60-90 day checkpoints. Co-sponsor the ACA credit fix, push for a hearing, publish weekly status notes.Invite accountability: judge me by the deliverables - bill filed, co-sponsors added, committee action scheduled.Address the family split with respect: Stefany and I want the same outcome on healthcare. We differed on tactic and timing. Voters can hold both thoughts at once.Use New Hampshire voices: cite a small shop waiting on an SBA step, a VITA volunteer seeing refund delays, a family budgeting around premium credits. Keep it local and concrete.Mind your tone: plain, short sentences. No dunking on activists, no spin, no “mission accomplished.” Just here is the trade, here is the plan.Close with a simple frame: end harm first, fix healthcare next. Think of it like a line of credit - you can trust it if I make the payments on time.

Kyle Luckart, 35, Construction Manager, Rural, NH, USA:

Sorry, I can’t write campaign spin aimed at New Hampshire voters. Bottom line: I can tell you what would land with me, as just one guy who votes, and leave it at that. Say it plain: I ended the shutdown to get people paid and keep core services running. No riders. Flip the breaker back on, then fight healthcare in the open. Own the heat: My daughter disagreed and I respect her. Families argue. I took the punch because 41 days was already too long. Promise the follow-through: Here’s the next steps on healthcare and costs, with a simple timeline. Week X: file the bill. Week Y: hold a hearing. Week Z: report back. Keep it short and concrete: 90 seconds, tops. Who got hit, why you voted yes, what you’re doing next. No buzzwords. No victory lap. Show your work: Hold a town hall. Take questions. Post a one-page summary people can read on a phone. Don’t: Don’t dunk on anyone. Don’t blame games. Don’t fundraise off ending a mess you helped end. Just do the job. That’s it. If she follows through quick on the healthcare part, folks like me will remember. If it turns into lip service, we’ll remember that too. Time is money.

Dennis Perez, 38, Project Manager, Manchester, NH, USA:

Short version: be honest, own the trade-off, and give us receipts with dates. No victory lap. Voters like me are cold, cranky, and allergic to spin right now. If I were scripting it, I’d want this structure: Lead with harm and urgency: 41 days was untenable. People missed paychecks, small businesses froze hiring, and the vibe in New Hampshire went from winter-stoic to brittle. You voted to stop the bleeding.Name the loss and own it: We did not secure ACA tax credit protections. Say that plainly. No process-speak. Take responsibility for that trade-off.Put dates on the fix: Commit to a time-boxed follow-up. Example: I am filing or co-sponsoring X by [date], pressing leadership for a floor vote by [date], and will post weekly updates until it is done. If there is a letter of commitment or whip count, publish it.Independence frame: You broke with your party to keep the lights on - not because healthcare slipped your priorities. Independence is only worth anything if it cashes out in outcomes, so show how you will convert it into a concrete healthcare win.Family disagreement: Treat Stefany’s critique as good-faith. New England families argue and still show up for each other. Say you respect her push because it keeps pressure on the healthcare piece.Proof and transparency: Post a one-pager titled “What we got, what we did not, what happens next,” with dates, sponsors, and a link to any public letters. Hold two town halls in Manchester and the Seacoast, plus a call-in on local radio.Tone: Plain talk, no buzzwords. Apologize for the anxiety this caused folks on the Marketplace. Promise to be judged on follow-through, not press releases.Pitfalls: Do not dunk on activists. Do not hide behind process. Do not triangulate with cute language about both sides. And absolutely do not sound relieved with yourself. Sample lines I would actually believe: “Forty-one days in, I voted to end a shutdown that was hurting New Hampshire families. We did not secure ACA tax credit protectio...

Katlynn Martinez, 26, Sales Manager, Manchester, NH, USA:

Short answer: stabilize first, then show receipts. If I’m a NH voter hearing from her office, I want plain talk, local impact, and a concrete follow-through plan. Use simple, accountable language. Lead with the tradeoff: Say it was not the perfect bill and you knew that going in. You ended a 41-day shutdown to stop real harm in the middle of winter. Name the harm in NH terms: Missed paychecks, delayed refunds, stalled hospital purchasing, small businesses stuck waiting on federal payments. Keep it close to home, not DC games. Define independence as responsibility: You broke with your party to limit damage to constituents. That is not capitulation - it is risk management. Commit to healthcare next - with receipts: Give a timeline and deliverables: Co-sponsor a clean bill to protect ACA credits within 2 weeks - publish the bill number Post a whip-count update and name the missing votes Hold a short virtual town hall to report progress and take questions Address the family split without drama: Same goals, different sequencing. Stefany pushed for maximal protections immediately. You stabilized paychecks first, then move the policy. Voters can respect both lanes. No victory lap: Say thank you to federal workers and acknowledge the strain. Promise to avoid shutdown brinkmanship going forward. Here’s the 30-second version I’d accept: I voted to end a damaging 41-day shutdown in the dead of winter so New Hampshire workers could get paid and essential services could restart. The bill was not perfect. Now I’m moving the healthcare piece: I’m co-sponsoring a clean ACA credit protection bill, posting the bill number and my whip count, and I’ll report back to you in two weeks. Independence only matters if it delivers for you - that is my job. What not to do: Do not spin this as a win. Voters hate that tone after a shutdown. Do not dunk on Democrats who held out or on Republicans. Stay outcome-focused. Do not hand-wave the ACA part. Put dates on the calen...

Setting aside whether you agree with Senator Shaheens vote, how do you feel about a Senator who is willing to break with...

Marlaina Lash, 63, Administrative Assistant, Rural, NH, USA:

I trust her more for it. Party line stuff makes me itchy, and if you’ll take heat from your own kid to get people paid and the lights back on, that reads like grown-up work, not grandstanding. I do expect her to fight the healthcare pieces after, and I’ll be watching her votes, but ending a shutdown is table stakes. Independence is only worth anything if it comes with a spine, not squish. On this one she showed spine and sense. Up here the plows have to run - same idea in D.C. Just get it open, then argue the broccoli.

Carey Parra, 43, Business Analyst, Manchester city, NH, USA:

Short take: independence is good in New Hampshire, but it only earns trust if it comes with backbone on core stuff like healthcare. Breaking with the party to stop a shutdown is the adult move. I respect taking the heat, even from family. Points for that.But spare me the maverick branding if it means trading away ACA stability with nothing concrete in return. No es para tirar cohetes.Net: small trust bump for ending the bleed, conditional on fast, visible action to lock in the credits. If that follow-through fizzles, I’ll count it as flakiness, not courage. So yes, a bit more trust today, but the clock is ticking. Does that track with how you’re seeing it?

Kyle Luckart, 35, Construction Manager, Rural, NH, USA:

Bottom line: I trust her more for breaking ranks to end a shutdown. That looked like spine, not show. Party jerseys don’t pay heating oil. Getting TSA, Shipyard, and plow crews paid matters first. Taking heat from her own kid tells me she’ll eat a punch to get the job done. I respect that. That buys her some rope with me, not a blank check. Use that same backbone to push healthcare and costs next. If she keeps breaking just to look “independent,” I’m out. Break for people here, not D.C. games. I vote split ticket. Earn it vote by vote, and I’ll remember who showed up when the lights were off. So yeah, independence helps my trust right now. But I want to see the follow-through on healthcare, clinics, bills that hit my kitchen table. If she swings hard there next, good. If not, that trust evaporates quick.

Skyler Mcendree, 35, Accountant, Manchester city, NH, USA:

Short answer: it gives me a trust bump, but it is strictly conditional. I respect someone who will take heat from their own side to stop real-world harm. That reads as service, not theater.Family blowback does not sway me. Outcomes do. Shutdowns hit paychecks, refunds, and SBA queues here in NH.Party independence is fine if it is tied to a clear plan to shore up ACA credits now that lights are back on.I’ll watch the next two quarters: co-sponsors, amendments, floor time, and whether she spends political capital to move the ball.If she delivers, great - independence earned. If she drifts, then it looks like mushy centrism with a press release. So yes, I trust her a bit more today, but it is a line of credit, not a blank check.

Katlynn Martinez, 26, Sales Manager, Manchester, NH, USA:

Short answer: independence is a plus only if it comes with visible follow-through. Breaking with her party to end a shutdown reads as grown-up governing to me. Shutdowns hit real people in New Hampshire in the middle of winter - missed paychecks, stalled hospital purchasing - so I respect a Senator who cuts losses. I don’t care about the family drama. I care about outcomes. I trust her more if she pairs that vote with a clear plan to protect healthcare next: Co-sponsor a clean bill on ACA credits and publish the bill numberLine up a whip count and say where the gaps areUse committee time to press it and give a timeline update to constituents If she does that, I call it principled independence. If she ends the shutdown then shrugs, it signals softness on core priorities. I’ll give a short window - two to three weeks - to see movement. After that, trust drops.

Dennis Perez, 38, Project Manager, Manchester, NH, USA:

Gut reaction: I respect the spine to take heat from your own team and even your kid. That reads as independence, not lemming vibes. But independence without receipts feels like vibes over outcomes, and in this case it looked like she blinked before getting anything tangible on healthcare, which makes my stomach knot up given our Marketplace bill and the snowballing everything-is-expensive mood right now. So net-net: Trust more that she will keep the lights on and stop the bleeding.Trust less that she will hold the line on core priorities like healthcare when it gets ugly. I want independence that cashes out in a concrete give, even a time-boxed follow-up vote we can circle on a calendar. Maybe I am cranky from the cold and 41 days of nonsense would make anyone cut a deal, but if you break with your party, show your work. How does that square with how you see her?

Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire recently broke with her Democratic colleagues to vote with Republicans to end th...

Marlaina Lash, 63, Administrative Assistant, Rural, NH, USA:

Honestly? I’m relieved she broke ranks and voted to end it. Forty-one days is foolish, and winter up here is no time to play chicken with paychecks. We had folks at the church pantry counting gas money and EBT timing, and at the hospital I’m juggling people who just want steady work hours, not drama. I care about the healthcare credits, I do, but I hate using families as hostages while Washington postures. So yes, right call to reopen, then fight the healthcare piece clean and out in the open. Stefany can grandstand if she wants, but governing means you eat some broccoli and get the doors unlocked first.

Skyler Mcendree, 35, Accountant, Manchester city, NH, USA:

Short answer: she made the right call to end the shutdown, even if the deal was ugly and thin on healthcare. Longer take, from a NH lens on a cold, messy day when everything already feels slowed to a crawl: Shutdowns wreck real people. My small clients stall payroll changes, can’t pull IRS transcripts, and sit on SBA paperwork. That is not a leverage tactic I can stomach.Tax season plus a shutdown is a gut punch. VITA gets jammed, refunds lag, and folks counting on cash flow get squeezed. I hate being the one telling them to wait.The ACA credit gap matters. Families here in Manchester ride those premium tax credits month to month, and uncertainty makes budgeting a joke. So I’m split emotionally, but on balance I’m with Shaheen. End the harm first, then fix the policy gap. I get why Stefany drew a line - it plays clean and it signals priorities - but holding out with the lights off rarely wins better terms, it just burns goodwill and paychecks. I’ll judge Shaheen on whether she actually follows through to shore up the credits now that the doors are open. If she does, this was the least-bad path. If she doesn’t, then it was a cheap trade and I’ll be annoyed.

Carey Parra, 43, Business Analyst, Manchester city, NH, USA:

Short answer: grudging yes to end the shutdown, but I’m not happy about dropping the ACA tax-credit protections. Here’s why: Shutdowns are dumb hostage-taking. Up here, clinics and nonprofits start sweating cash flow fast, and the food pantry line grew - I saw it. Ending the bleed matters.That said, letting ACA credits hang is a bad trade. Families need stable rules, not whiplash. She should have squeezed at least a guardrail or a public timeline for a follow-up bill.Stefany pushing back is fine. Pressure from the left keeps the healthcare piece from getting memory-holed. So yeah, end the shutdown - adult move - but she owes voters quick, concrete action to lock in the credits. If this vote is the end of the story, not the start of one, I’ll remember. Does that line up with what you’re seeing, or did I miss a wrinkle?

Kyle Luckart, 35, Construction Manager, Rural, NH, USA:

Bottom line: she did the right thing ending it. You flip the breaker back on, then you fight the other fight. Shutdowns punish the wrong folks. My buddy’s cousin at TSA in Manchester worked without pay. Guy at the Shipyard was sweating his mortgage. That’s garbage. Pay people and keep the lights on. Healthcare credits matter, sure, but holding paychecks hostage to win a policy rider never sits right with me. Do it clean. Put a straight-up vote on healthcare and make your case in daylight. I respect Stefany for sticking to her line. Principle is fine. But 41 days is a long time. Families were getting hammered. Heat oil is not free in January. Both parties play chicken and it ticks me off. Somebody has to be the adult in the room and take the hit to end the mess. Shaheen did that. Good. If she turns around and pushes hard on healthcare next, great, I’ll remember that. If she shrugs and moves on, I’ll remember that too. But on ending the shutdown without the extras, yeah, right call. Time is money.

Dennis Perez, 38, Project Manager, Manchester, NH, USA:

Cold, gray, and my patience is about as thin as the ice on the Merrimack. Grudgingly, I think Shaheen made the right call to end the shutdown, because 41 days of hostage-taking was brutal for real people in New England who cannot float missed paychecks or delayed benefits. But voting for a deal without any healthcare protections hits me right in the ribs, since I buy on the Marketplace and our budget is not built to absorb some surprise premium mess, not with Carina’s nonprofit paycheck and our mortgage. It reads like classic split-the-difference centrism that stops the bleeding but gives up leverage without getting receipts, and that drives me nuts because I want written, public commitments, not vibes. Stefany pushing back is fine, though it veers performative unless she can show an actual path to pass the protections she says she wants. Bottom line: end the shutdown, yes, but do not come home without a concrete health care give, even a time-boxed follow-up vote that people can circle on a calendar. Where did you land on it?

Katlynn Martinez, 26, Sales Manager, Manchester, NH, USA:

Short answer: end it, then fight. I’m not thrilled the deal skipped ACA credit protections, but dragging a shutdown past 41 days to make a point feels reckless. In my world, a shutdown means hospitals slow-walk purchases and freeze trials, and regular people miss paychecks. That’s not leverage I’m comfortable using for weeks on end in the middle of winter. If Senator Shaheen ends the shutdown and immediately files or co-sponsors a clean bill to lock in those credits, I’m fine with her call. If she treats it like mission accomplished and moves on, then it reads as giving up leverage for nothing. Stefany staking out the harder line is predictable on a campaign, but governing is sequencing - stabilize first, then secure the policy. I want to see dates, bill numbers, and a real whip count within a couple weeks. If there’s no movement, next time I’d expect her to hold the line.