Ex-Dem lobbyist for company that promoted addictive opioid clears key gubernatorial hurdle
**CONCORD, N.H. – Cinde Warmington of New Hampshire secured the Democratic nomination for governor Tuesday evening after running unopposed in the state’s primary. The former state councilor, who previously sought the office in 2024, will now face Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte in the Nov. 3 general election, setting up a rematch of the 2024 contest that Ayotte won by a wide margin.
Warmington, who served on the New Hampshire Executive Council representing the 2nd district from 2021 through 2025, is not the first political newcomer to tackle the state’s highest office, but her campaign has quickly become a focal point of the state’s political debate. The primary victory was largely expected, as no challenger emerged to challenge her for the Democratic ballot spot.
Controversy Over Purdue Pharma Past
The campaign has been shadowed by Warmington’s prior work as a lawyer for Purdue Pharma, the company at the center of the national opioid crisis. Purdue faced extensive public scrutiny, investigations and a series of lawsuits alleging the firm misled doctors and patients about OxyContin’s addictive potential. In May, the company reached a $7.4 billion settlement addressing those claims.
Warmington has described her involvement as limited. In a campaign video titled “Setting the Record Straight,” she explained that in 2001 she was assigned to represent Purdue while working as an attorney. “My dad, who I loved very, very much, struggled with addiction,” she said. “We did not escape the opioid crisis.”
She continued, “When I was assigned a case by a partner to represent Purdue Pharma … I was fighting for patients to get access to the healthcare that their doctors thought that they needed. What I did not know at the time was that Purdue Pharma was engaged in this massive criminal fraud — something that would only be exposed over years of litigation.”
Republican leaders have seized on the connection. The Republican Governors Association (RGA) released a statement calling Warmington’s link to the drug maker “disqualifying.” “Based on her role in fueling the opioid epidemic and calling OxyContin a ‘miracle drug,’ Cinde Warmington is completely disqualified from being governor. Warmington chose a payday over protecting New Hampshire families,” the RGA said.
Republican candidate John Sununu also weighed in, criticizing Democratic tactics in the state’s primary process. Sununu’s remarks echoed broader GOP concerns about the primary calendar, though his exact wording was not detailed in public filings.
Warmington has dismissed the attacks as unfounded, maintaining that her involvement was peripheral and that she acted in good faith on behalf of patients.
Campaign Focus on Affordability
Warmington’s platform for the 2026 race centers on what she calls the “affordability crisis” gripping New Hampshire households. In a campaign video, she highlighted rising costs for housing, groceries, electricity and property taxes. “The prices of houses, groceries, electricity and property taxes are crushing working families. And Kelly Ayotte is making your life more expensive. I know we can do better,” she said.
She has pledged a aggressive stance against what she describes as Republican inaction on cost‑of‑living pressures. Warmington has called for stricter oversight of data‑center development, arguing that unchecked growth drives up energy costs for residents. She also advocates for limiting the ability of large investment groups to purchase residential properties, a policy she says will help keep homes affordable for locals.
Tax policy is another major plank of her agenda. “I’ll make sure we don’t have a sales or income tax,” Warmington declared, promising to keep the state’s tax burden low for families.
Beyond economic issues, Warmington has outlined positions on immigration and housing. She supports pushing back against federal immigration enforcement actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and has promised to implement safeguards that protect undocumented residents from deportations.
Past Election History
Warmington previously entered the governor’s race in 2024, finishing second to Democratic nominee Joyce Craig. In that contest, Warmington garnered 47.9 % of the vote to Craig’s 41.8 % after a competitive primary. Craig ultimately lost to Ayotte in the general election, with Ayotte receiving 53.6 % of the vote to Craig’s 44.3 %.
General Election Outlook
With the primary now settled, the 2026 gubernatorial contest will be a rematch between Ayotte and Warmington. Ayotte, a former U.S. senator, won the 2024 election and has been in office since then. She has campaigned on a record of fiscal responsibility and strong economic growth for the state.
Both campaigns are expected to focus heavily on the affordability agenda, the opioid crisis, and competing visions for the state’s future. Analysts predict a closely watched race, given New Hampshire’s status as a key swing state and the high stakes involved in controlling the governor’s office.
Warmington’s nomination marks a continuation of her political career, which includes council service and a previous gubernatorial run. Her ability to navigate the controversies surrounding Purdue Pharma while rallying voters around economic concerns will be central to her prospects in the fall campaign.
