Manchester Association of Police Supervisors Endorses Governor Kelly Ayotte for Re-Election
September 17, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MANCHESTER, N.H. — The Manchester Association of Police Supervisors (MAPS) today announced its endorsement of Governor Kelly Ayotte for re-election, citing her longstanding working relationship with New Hampshire law enforcement and her record on issues affecting public safety, police recruitment and retention, and first responders.
MAPS previously supported Ayotte during the 2024 gubernatorial campaign. The association said its decision to again endorse her reflects both that longstanding relationship and actions taken during her first term as governor.
“Governor Ayotte has worked with members of law enforcement throughout her career, and Manchester officers have seen that relationship firsthand,” said Rob Megowen, President of the Manchester Association of Police Supervisors. “From her time as Attorney General and United States Senator to her first term as Governor, she has consistently engaged on issues that directly affect the men and women responsible for keeping our communities safe. Her work on bail reform and her commitment to addressing the Group II retirement system are especially important at a time when police departments across New Hampshire are working hard to recruit and retain experienced officers.”
Ayotte’s relationship with Manchester law enforcement extends back two decades. As New Hampshire Attorney General, she personally prosecuted Michael Addison for the 2006 murder of Manchester Police Officer Michael Briggs. Addison was convicted of capital murder in 2008.
As a United States Senator, Ayotte worked with Senator Jeanne Shaheen on bipartisan legislation protecting death benefits paid to families of public-safety officers killed in the line of duty from federal income taxation. She was also an original cosponsor of the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act as Congress responded to the growing heroin and prescription-opioid crisis.
Through Ayotte’s work on the opioid crisis in the U.S. Senate, Manchester’s experience became part of the national conversation. At a 2016 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, then-Manchester Police Chief Enoch “Nick” Willard testified about what Manchester officers were confronting on the front lines of the opioid crisis and called for a comprehensive approach involving prevention, treatment, recovery, and resources for state and local law enforcement.
A decade later, Manchester is seeing encouraging signs of progress. In August 2026, the city recorded no suspected fatal opioid overdoses for the first month since tracking began in January 2015. MAPS recognizes that milestone as the result of sustained work by police, fire and emergency medical services, public health officials, treatment and recovery providers, and community partners across many years, supported in part by broader state and federal efforts to address the opioid crisis that Ayotte helped advance.
During her first term as governor, Ayotte made changes to New Hampshire’s bail system an early public-safety priority. In March 2025, she signed HB 592, legislation changing the standards applicable to and administration of bail in criminal cases.
MAPS also pointed to Ayotte’s work on Group II retirement benefits, an issue with direct implications for police recruitment and retention. Her administration included changes to Group II benefits as part of its budget proposal, and Ayotte publicly advocated for addressing benefits affected by earlier changes to the retirement system. In June 2025, she signed HB 282, which made significant changes to the calculation of certain Group II retirement benefits.
Taken together, these issues reflect a relationship between Ayotte and Manchester law enforcement that has spanned different offices and different challenges. From the prosecution following the murder of Officer Michael Briggs, to federal work involving fallen officers and the opioid crisis, to more recent action involving bail and Group II retirement, Manchester law enforcement has worked alongside Ayotte on public-safety issues for much of the past two decades.
In response to the endorsement, Governor Ayotte commented “It has been a privilege to work alongside the brave men and women of the Manchester Police Department over the years, and I’m honored to have the support of the Manchester Association of Police Supervisors. Together, we fixed the broken bail system, restored the retirement benefits our officers were promised, and more, and I look forward to continuing our work together to keep New Hampshire the safest state in the nation.”
MAPS represents supervisory employees within the Manchester Police Department, including police sergeants, lieutenants and captains, and works to promote a professional and sustainable police department capable of meeting the public-safety needs of New Hampshire’s largest city.
Governor Ayotte is seeking re-election in the November 2026 gubernatorial election.
Media Contact:
Matthew Barter
SpokespersonManchester Association of Police Supervisors (MAPS)
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