During the 2020 election, it was easy to view Gov. Sununu as a moderate candidate. His mere recognition of the existence of COVID-19 was enough to distance him from more reactionary governors across the United States who instead thought COVID-19 was fake — and if it wasn’t fake, then it wasn’t a big deal, and if it was a big deal, then “Well, we all die eventually.”

But as COVID-19 appears to be winding down, vaccinations appear to be going up and restrictions ease, we once again enter a normal political environment where candidates can be judged on their commitment to the rights and economic interests of the common everyday person. And on that front, there couldn’t be a better contrast between Gov. Sununu and Sen. Tom Sherman.

Sen. Sherman was first elected to the New Hampshire House in 2012 and then to the Senate in 2018. On every issue, he has made it clear that he is committed to a New Hampshire where working people can afford to live here, raise a family here and have whatever career they choose here. He supports strong public schools and a solid minimum wage, and he’s also pro-choice and pro-cannabis. He understands that the property tax is inherently unfairly administered in New Hampshire. You only need to look at his voting record, and more specifically, his “yes” votes, compared with Gov. Sununu’s vetoes to know all of that to be true.

When there was an opportunity to give working people in New Hampshire a minimum wage that was competitive in New England and would have curbed the daily exodus of people who drive over the state line for work, Sherman said yes, Sununu said no.

When the Housing Security Act of 2020 came up for a vote, which would have saved homes and made it illegal to evict someone who lost a job due to Gov. Sununu’s executive orders during the pandemic, Sherman said yes, Sununu said no.

When presented with several bills in the 2019 session to deal with the existential crisis that is climate change, such as SB 205 and SB 275, Sherman said yes, Sununu said no.

When there was an opportunity to give the State of New Hampshire a fiscally responsible budget that increased state aid to education and provided property tax relief for homeowners and small businesses, Sherman said yes, Sununu said no.

When there were several opportunities to roll back the unnecessary war on cannabis and allow for cultivation, possession and use of cannabis by adults in the State of New Hampshire, a position that now has more than a two-thirds majority of support in the state, Sherman said yes, Sununu said no.

There are countless more examples of good legislation that passed the House and Senate in Sen. Sherman’s tenure that would have delivered a social or economic benefit to the people of New Hampshire but met their death on the governor’s desk.

This fall, I’m saying yes to Sherman, and no to Sununu, and I ask that you consider joining me in that vote.

Joshua Adjutant is a Democratic New Hampshire Representative for Grafton – District 17.