Cinde Warmington
Member of the
New Hampshire Executive Council
from the 2nd district
Assumed office
January 6, 2021
Preceded byAndru Volinsky
Personal details
Born (1957-12-07) December 7, 1957 (age 66)
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseBill Christie
Children2
EducationUniversity of Massachusetts Dartmouth (BS)
University of Texas, Arlington (MBA)
University of New Hampshire (JD)

Cinde Warmington (born December 7, 1957) is an American attorney, politician, and former lobbyist. A Democrat, Warmington was elected to the Executive Council of New Hampshire in November 2020, assuming office on January 6, 2021. She is currently a candidate in the 2024 New Hampshire gubernatorial election.[1]

Prior to her election, Warmington worked in private practice as a healthcare attorney.[2] She formerly worked as a lobbyist on behalf of defunct pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma.[3]

Education

Warmington earned a Bachelor of Science degree in medical technology from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a Juris Doctor from the University of New Hampshire School of Law.[4]

Legal career

Warmington began her career as a health care administrator. She has since worked as a health care attorney at Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. in the firm's health care practice group. She practiced health care law for 20 years.[2]

In 2002, Warmington lobbied on behalf of Purdue Pharma in Concord, where she defended the company's record on Oxycontin prescriptions. Describing it as a "miracle drug for many patients", Warmington argued the prescription pill "has very few side effects".[3][5]

Political career

Executive Council of New Hampshire

In 2020, she ran for the 2nd district of the Executive Council of New Hampshire to succeed fellow Democrat Andru Volinsky.[6] Her campaign received support from pro-choice groups including EMILY’s List and Planned Parenthood's New Hampshire Action Fund PAC.[7] She defeated her Republican opponent, Jim Beard, by a 54.4% to 45.5% margin.[8]

Warmington was reelected in 2022 by a 60% to 40% margin against Republican state senator Harold F. French.[8] As a member of the Executive Council, Warmington urged colleagues to vote down efforts to cancel state contracts with Planned Parenthood.[9]

2024 gubernatorial campaign

In June 2023, she announced her campaign for Governor of New Hampshire in the 2024 election.[1] In December 2023, her campaign reported that it brought it over $1 million in donations since she announced her candidacy. She faces Joyce Craig, the former Mayor of Manchester, in the Democratic primary.[10] Warmington has stated that, if elected, her inaugural budget proposal would seek to address housing affordability, childcare, and education.[11]

During the campaign, Warmington has made combating the opioid epidemic in New Hampshire a leading campaign issue. She has received scrutiny over her work on behalf of PMC Medical Group, a network of pain management clinics accused of contributing to the state's opioid crisis.[12][13] Kathy Sullivan, the former chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, expressed concerns regarding her work for the company.[14]

Political positions

As a gubernatorial candidate, Warmington has advocated for expanding access to abortion in New Hampshire, and favors repealing the 24-week abortion ban instituted by Governor Chris Sununu.[15] Warmington has identified the state's housing crisis and the fentanyl epidemic as long-term challenges facing New Hampshire residents.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b Bookman, Todd (June 1, 2023). "Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington announces campaign for NH governor". New Hampshire Public Radio. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Cinde Warmington, District 2 Executive Council Candidate". Concord, NH Patch. 2020-08-18. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  3. ^ a b Mitropoulos, Arielle (2023-07-28). "Cinde Warmington faces criticism over past defenses of OxyContin, doctor who later surrendered license". WMUR. Retrieved 2024-01-23.
  4. ^ "Councilor Cinde Warmington | District 2 | New Hampshire Executive Council". www.nh.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  5. ^ Porter, Steven (2023-06-14). "Lobbying work for Purdue Pharma plagues N.H. gubernatorial candidate". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  6. ^ "Democrat Cinde Warmington wins NH Executive Council District 2 race". Portsmouth Herald. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  7. ^ "Pro-choice groups endorse Cinde Warmington for Executive Council". Foster's Daily Democrat. 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  8. ^ a b "Cinde Warmington". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
  9. ^ Towfighi, Michaela (2023-11-25). "Following success of other states, Warmington and Craig campaign on abortion". Concord Monitor. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  10. ^ Graham, Michael (2023-12-06). "Warmington Announces 'Record' $1 Million Haul in Dem. Gubernatorial Primary". NH Journal. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  11. ^ DeWitt, Ethan (2023-09-19). "Governor's race 2024: Here's where the four candidates stand on the issues". New Hampshire Bulletin. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  12. ^ Landrigan, Kevin (2023-12-02). "State House Dome: Warmington facing more coverage over ties to opioid firms". UnionLeader.com. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  13. ^ Lahut, Jake (2023-07-04). "She's Running on the Opioid Issue. Her History Is a Problem". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  14. ^ Marans, Daniel (2023-12-01). "New Hampshire Democratic Contender Got Big Donations From Pain Clinic At Heart Of State's Opioid Crisis". HuffPost. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  15. ^ Sexton, Adam (2023-09-08). "Warmington, a Democrat running for governor, calls for repeal of 24-week abortion ban in NH". WMUR. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  16. ^ Green, Rick (2023-06-03). "Warmington highlights housing, fentanyl epidemic, health care in bid for governor". SentinelSource.com. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
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