New Hampshire gubernatorial candidate Jon Kiper said he will leave the Democratic primary to instead organize a new political party he is calling the Community First Party, which he plans to use as the ballot designation for his 2026 bid.
In a video published Tuesday, Kiper said he was “done” with both the Democratic and Republican parties and identified himself as a candidate for the new party. He also began promoting the organization’s website and message and, in a separate video recorded outside his local town hall, confirmed that he had officially left the Democratic Party.
Kiper said he had initially hoped to help reform the Democratic Party from within but became discouraged by what he saw as the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in national politics. In explaining his reason for leaving, he referenced a March video from AIPAC featuring Chris Pappas in which the congressman defended U.S.-Israel relations and portrayed Iran as a security threat. Kiper called that the “final nail in the coffin” which made it untenable for him to remain in the party.
Kiper is a small business owner, author, and former Newmarket town councilor first elected in 2019 as a write-in candidate, where he served a single term. He also ran in the 2024 Democratic primary for governor, finishing third with 9.4 percent of the vote. More recently, he published Community First Economics, a policy book tied directly to his campaign message on housing, taxes, and local business.
Kiper launched his current gubernatorial campaign in 2025, initially as an independent candidate before pivoting back to the Democratic Party. He had been pursuing the nomination for months and was the only declared candidate in the race until Cinde Warmington, who also ran in the 2024 primary, entered the race earlier this year.
At this stage, the Community First Party is closely tied to Kiper’s gubernatorial candidacy and associated policy agenda. On its website, the organization states that its primary focus includes housing affordability, property taxes, and the general cost of living in New Hampshire. It also calls for support for small businesses and investing in ways to keep wealth circulating within local communities rather than supporting outside corporate interests.
The organization describes its outlook as closest to “libertarian socialist,” focusing both on personal freedom and a greater community control over economic life. Its platform spans positions ranging from support for the Second Amendment to universal healthcare and socialized housing, while candidates seeking its support are required to sign a pledge rejecting hate and affirming democratic principles.
The new organization also distances itself from similar efforts, explicitly naming both the Forward Party and the non-electoral No Labels organization, calling them “centrist coalitions funded by wealthy donors who want to split the difference between two broken parties.” Instead, it says it wants to lead with its own community-driven economic vision.
To appear on the New Hampshire general election ballot, Kiper must qualify by petition as a non-major party candidate, collecting at least 3,000 valid signatures by the summer, including 1,500 from each congressional district. If successful, he can then appear on the ballot using “Community First” as his designation.
If Kiper earns at least 4 percent of the vote for governor in November, Community First would qualify as a recognized political party under New Hampshire law, allowing voters to register with the party and its candidates to compete in state-run primaries in the following election cycle.
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