About the Community First Party
The Community First Party is a new political organization in New Hampshire. We exist because the two-party system has failed working people, and the only way to fix it is to build something new from the ground up.
Our core belief is simple: personal freedom and community wellbeing are not competing values. They’re the same value expressed in different parts of your life. Your right to live without government interference is inseparable from your community’s right to an economy that works for the people who live there.
Where We Come From
This party grew out of a book, a campaign, and a frustration.
The book is Community First Economics by Jon Kiper. It lays out a framework for how the economy should work: money and power flow from communities upward, not from concentrated wealth downward.
The campaign was Jon’s 2024 run for governor. He spent $58,000, outperformed every poll, and learned two things: the ideas resonate, and the party system is designed to crush candidates who don’t play by its rules.
The frustration belongs to 435,000 undeclared New Hampshire voters — the single largest bloc in the state. Neither party represents them. We’re done asking permission from either one.
What Makes Us Different
We have a real economic philosophy. Not talking points. A published book anyone can read and debate.
We don’t take corrupting money. If your donor list looks like a lobbying directory, your policies will too.
We defend personal freedom AND community investment. Forcing people to choose between their rights and their neighbors is the oldest trick in the two-party playbook.
We’re preparing for the economy that’s coming. AI and automation will eliminate millions of jobs. We’re the only party in New Hampshire with a plan for what comes after.
Where We Fit
If you put a label on our philosophy, the closest term is probably libertarian socialism — the idea that individual liberty and collective wellbeing aren’t opposites but partners. We believe the government should stay out of your personal life and show up for your community. That your right to own a firearm and your right to affordable healthcare come from the same place: the belief that every person deserves both freedom and security.
We didn’t choose that term to provoke anyone. We chose it because it’s honest. But labels matter less than results. What matters is whether your kids can afford to live in the town they grew up in, whether your property taxes are crushing you, and whether your government works for your community or for the people who write the biggest checks.
If that sounds like common sense to you, you’re one of us.