Cascadden for Meredith

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Cascadden for Meredith

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Dean Cascadden Democratic Candidate for the NH House of Representatives for Meredith 

Issues: Public Education Environmental Stewardship Property Tax Relief

Issues: Public Education Environmental Stewardship Property Tax ReliefIssues: Public Education Environmental Stewardship Property Tax ReliefIssues: Public Education Environmental Stewardship Property Tax Relief
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Dean Cascadden Democratic Candidate for the NH House of Representatives for Meredith 

Issues: Public Education Environmental Stewardship Property Tax Relief

Issues: Public Education Environmental Stewardship Property Tax ReliefIssues: Public Education Environmental Stewardship Property Tax ReliefIssues: Public Education Environmental Stewardship Property Tax Relief
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Secretary of State- How to VoteMeredith- How to Vote

Why I am Running

The New Hampshire state flag waving against a blue sky.

A lifelong NH Resident

My life passions are public education, the natural environment and building empowering organizations that respect and support the diverse people who engage with them.  I have been a biology teacher, a middle school principal, a district curriculum director and a superintendent of schools.  I have been a husband, a father and now a grandfather.  I care deeply about NH and about our future as a state.  I have been engaged in local town and school politics and have also worked with state legislative committees to understand and refine bills.  I am very concerned about the influence of the Free  State Project on NH.

Our Legislators should be Representatives of the Voters

Presently the NH House is not the People’s House.  Jason Osbourne the Majority Leader, the NH Liberty Alliance and members of the Free State Project have a republican majority and vote lock step on ideologically driven bills.  Policy decisions have been made putting more costs to the local cities and towns, while at the same time failing to address NH’s long standing educational funding issues.  Testimony from citizens on  bills often is ignored and votes are consistently determined along party lines.  This is not good government.


I believe in government. I believe in local control, and the ability of citizens to come together to civilly debate ideas that will promote the general welfare.  I believe in public education as a foundation for democracy, and to support our economic growth. I believe our local public schools build community and respect for others when they recognize diversity and deliver services equitably and in inclusive environments.  The over reliance on property tax causes strife in and between our communities.  We can look at better funding mechanisms for the diverse student pathways without implementing a sales or income tax.  It has been done before with other revenue sources that have been reduced in recent years.


I  promote environmental stewardship.  We need to manage our natural resources for our present economic health and for future generations.  Our Lakes, Mountains and natural areas need protection and reliable funding sources for managing multiple users.  Common resources need to be managed fairly or they will be destroyed by selfish interests.  Laws and policy that balance the competing interests are critical.

Position Statement Videos

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Cascadden4Meredith on youtube

My Story

 I am a lifelong NH resident. My life passions have been education, the natural environment and building empowering organizations that run effectively by respecting and supporting the diverse people who engage with them.


I grew up in Littleton NH, delivering the Manchester Union Leader and reading it daily. I remember William Loeb and Governor Thompson promoting “the pledge” and the “NH advantage” that included no broad based taxes. As a school Superintendent I have had a lot of experience with school, town and state politics and have testified multiple times to the House Education committee. Property is unequally distributed in NH towns, but educational funding needs to be done equitably. The failure to effectively solve educational funding at a state level has caused multiple issues with funding local government and state policies have exacerbated local issues and concerns.


I have always loved town and school meetings as a form of local participatory democracy. Early in my career, I worked with all levels of government to solve practical problems to provide equitable school services efficiently and with controlled costs. Since the inception of the Free State Project in NH, I have seen less focus on solving practical problems in a collaborative way and more of an ideological focus on culture war issues and pushing of costs for state government onto the local property tax. I have also seen more of a divisive, winner take all approach to government. I have always been a connector and a collaborator and believe we can discuss, debate, decide and govern in a more participatory and less combative way.

I grew up enjoying the outdoors and majored in Ecology and Biology in college before becoming an educator. I was a principal of a small Christian School in Hanover while coaching skiing and football at Lebanon and Hanover High Schools. I spent four years getting a masters and a doctorate degree in educational administration in Virginia and a brief one year stint as a college professor in Oswego, NY. I returned to NH in 1997 to be the Middle School Principal for the Newfound District and settled in Bristol, NH. 


My wife and I moved to Meredith and developed our home on Lake Wicwas in 2016. I have since become the President of the Lake Wicwas Lake Association and coordinate the Lake Host Program. I believe that NH needs to manage our natural resources for preservation, recreation and tourism. They are an asset to our state and a strong base of our economy.


I have four children and two grandchildren. In 2024, my wife passed away after a wonderful 40 year marriage and I retired from full time work. I have put more time into my passion for singing and and music, but I find I am ready to get back into public service. 


I have a strong desire and the time to be an effective state representative and will advocate for fair funding for our communities, environmental stewardship and support for public schools as the foundation of our future.


I hope you get to know me as a person who can represent you in Concord.

Top 3 Issues

Supporting Public Education

Supporting Public Education

Supporting Public Education

Public education with local control and supported by a wide base of funding is the hope and future of our democracy.  In recent years, our schools have been over-regulated and underfunded by the Republican controlled legislature.

Environmental Stewardship

Supporting Public Education

Supporting Public Education

As president of the Lake Wicwas association and its lake host coordinator, I see that managing our natural resources for recreation, tourism and preservation is critical to our state. 

We all own our lakes and mountains and we need to protect them as we use them.

Property Tax Relief

Supporting Public Education

Property Tax Relief

NH funds most of its services off of Property Taxes, user fees and "sin" taxes.  A lot of burden has been pushed from Concord to the localities.  There are other sources of revenue that can be looked at to provide the governmental services we want.  

Email: Cascadden4Meredith@gmail.com

I would love to engage with you!

Cascadden4Meredith

cascadden4meredith@gmail.com

Drop me a line!

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