Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Success! Now Check Your Email

To complete Subscribe, click the confirmation link in your inbox. If it doesn’t arrive within 3 minutes, check your spam folder.

Ok, Thanks

The Soapbox: Why I’m voting for Cinde Warmington for governor

We need a governor who is going to fight for solutions to the opioid epidemic, not run a misleading attack campaign about it. That’s why I’m supporting Cinde Warmington for governor and I hope you’ll join me.

Carol Robidoux profile image
by Carol Robidoux

O P I N I O N

THE SOAPBOX

Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.


I’m old. My wife of 44 years died this summer from breast cancer.  That disease lived within her for 23 years.  Due to this illness, she and our family experienced periods of her profound incapacity and periods of joyful wellness.  We were blessed over the years to have access to skilled and compassionate medical care providers who helped us have the best life we could considering this health challenge.

Before I retired in 2022, I was so very fortunate to spend 37 years working at the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester and the last seven serving as President and CEO.  I was responsible for a wide range of evidence-based programs, including ones that sought to provide skilled and compassionate care to individuals suffering with substance use disorder.  I want you to know that I have immense respect for the courage, the health challenge and for the perseverance of persons and their families who become gripped by addiction. Clearly, it is a health condition as indiscriminate and as tough to live with as any cancer.  So over the many years, I developed a deep understanding of the issues our state, and particularly those that Manchester historically faced, and still, I believe, faces today when it comes to substance use disorders and mental health treatment.  I want you to know that I’m supporting Cinde Warmington for governor because, in my experience, she is the best candidate in the race to find solutions by working collaboratively with others.

During my time as the President and CEO of the Mental Health Center in Manchester, I worked closely with Cinde for years to make care more accessible for people who were struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. Serving on the boards of similar centers, Cinde was dedicated to improving lives, never leaving a stone unturned. On the Executive Council, she fought tirelessly to fund clinically proven programs that we know can work to help individuals and their families suffering from substance use disorders by creating the mechanisms to increase access to community mental health centers, like ours, that provided critical and lifesaving services.

In my view, Cinde has been a champion for Granite Staters struggling with substance use disorder, which is why it is so disheartening to see Joyce Craig attack her for a few months of legal work she did for Purdue Pharma more than 22 years ago – long before their corporate deceit was known. I had the privilege to work with both Joyce and Cinde on issues relating to mental health substance use disorders. There simply is no question in my mind that Cinde is the better candidate to tackle the issues as governor.

We need a governor who is going to fight for solutions to the opioid epidemic, not run a misleading attack campaign about it. That’s why I’m supporting Cinde Warmington for governor and I hope you’ll join me.


Beg to differ? Agree to disagree? Use the DISQUS commenting app below. Got issues of your own? Thoughtful prose on topics of general interest are welcome. Send them to publisher@inklink.news for consideration, subject line: The Soapbox.


Bill Rider lives in Manchester.


Carol Robidoux profile image
by Carol Robidoux