When retired Swanzey schoolteacher Jane Johnson went to the polls Tuesday, she joined other Republicans in ranking the economy as a top issue for her in the election. But outside of her frustrations with high prices of food, electricity and other essentials, the cost of Johnson’s health insurance has exploded, an issue she hopes the next president and Congress will prioritize. "It eats up almost all my retirement now,” said Johnson, voicing frustration at the confusing nature and high cost of her Medicare plans, which she pays for out of her N.

H. Retirement System for public workers. “I get what’s left, and I don’t get much more than one week’s groceries for two people from it.

Whoever is elected, I hope that they make that a primary issue.” Johnson’s concerns about health care costs aren’t unique in this election cycle. During the 2024 presidential election, two in three Americans believed that health care was not receiving enough attention despite it being it the second most important issue to voters, according to polling conducted in September by Gallup and the Pew Research Center .

Health issues local to New Hampshire and the Monadnock Region like abortion, climate change, and the shortage of health care workers and providers, were also on the minds of local voters. For Dan LeClair — a candidate for Cheshire District 10 who spent eight years working security at the Cheshire Medical Center — the long wait times to see a doctor is an issue he hopes can.