Pat Long (the attorney) announces campaign for Ward 7 seat, Heath’s endorsement

MANCHESTER, N.H. – After this fall’s municipal election, the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen could have two aldermen named Pat Long.

On Monday, attorney Patrick Long announced his candidacy to run for alderman in Ward 7 this fall, not to be confused with current Ward 3 Alderman and State Representative Pat Long.

Part of the announcement included word that Mary Heath, who currently serves Ward 7 as alderman, will not be seeking another term.

An Iraq War veteran, Long has owned and operated a law firm in Boston that serves clients in New Hampshire and Massachusetts for the past nine years, while also serving in the New Hampshire Army National Guard from 2008 to 2014.

Long has also served on Manchester’s Personnel Appeals Board and has also been politically active in other roles earlier in his life in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

In a statement, Long said one of the key reasons for his candidacy is addressing the city’s homelessness crisis.

“I don’t know what all the answers are here, and I would like to hear ideas. But to start, we need to build more affordable housing, and help people get the treatment they need for substance abuse and mental health issues, so they will stay off the streets,” said Long. “I will work to ensure that everyone who wants to buy or rent a home in Manchester is able to afford it. Opioid users who want to quit need to be able to get into detox immediately, and users of any drug need to be able to get into rehab right away when they are ready to quit, so they don’t change their minds. In my law practice, I work with a lot of people who have mental health or substance abuse issues, and my experience is that it is important to be humane about meeting their needs, while also demanding accountability for harmful behavior.”

Long also said he hopes to assist the Board of School Committee on budgetary matters, if elected.

“Policy decisions should be left to the School Committee, but the aldermen vote on the budget, which is about half of the entire budget for the city, and I would push to make changes that would improve the schools,” he said. We struggle to recruit teachers, because our teachers are paid about $1,000 less than the state average, while having a harder job than teachers in the suburbs who don’t have as many students living in poverty, with special needs, etc. We need to pay them what they are worth. My preference for doing this would be to zealously litigate the education funding equity suits currently going on against the state, because we receive less than our fair share of state education dollars, while wealthier districts receive more. If we can’t find other sources of money, or appropriate cuts elsewhere in the school budget, this would only cost the average taxpayer about $20/year extra”.

Long did not state if he has secured the endorsement of the current Alderman Pat Long or the cat that the two politicians share a name with.

Mary Heath says that Ward 7 faces many challenges such as high rent costs, keeping taxes low, keeping Prout Park safe and ensuring the success of the reborn Hallsville School building. However, she says she has confidence that Long can fill her shoes.

“I am honored to support attorney Patrick Long, as a brilliant, caring man who has devoted his life to helping people. Patrick is a young man with a tremendous commitment to our city and is energized to make a difference for the people living in Ward 7,” said Heath. “With Patrick’s background of public service and helping marginalized people every day as an attorney, Patrick is the right person to help us face these challenges.”

Heath also sought to thank the people of Ward 7 as part of her endorsement message of Long.

“I’ve lived in Manchester all my life but never fully appreciated the depth of the hard work of our DPW city workers, the Water Department, Planning, Fire and Police and everyone in City Hall and beyond dedicated to making our city safe and prosperous. My gratitude and respect for my city is huge. Special appreciation to our educators and administrators, I will always have a special place in my heart for the work they do every day for our Manchester children. I also want to thank the herculean efforts of the Fire and Police as they grapple with the unhoused, the increasing number of weapons and the myriad of issues to keep our city safe for all its residents,” she said.

Long will be holding a campaign kickoff event at The Green Beautiful at 168 Wilson St. at 5:30 p.m. on May 17 (suggested $25 contribution requested). More information on his campaign can be obtained by calling 603-316-6938 or by going to www.votepatricklong.com after it launches on May 9.