NH Leaders Condemn Assassination of Charlie Kirk

CONCORD-   New Hampshire political leaders expressed shock and grief Tuesday following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a campus event in Utah. The killing comes amid a series of violent incidents in recent years that conservatives argue have disproportionately targeted figures on the right.

Senate President Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, said she was “heartbroken to learn of the shooting that took Charlie Kirk’s life during a campus event in Utah. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, family, and the Turning Point community he helped build.”

Carson added that Kirk “often urged students to stand up for their ideas with courage and to answer arguments with argument, not anger. The way we honor that legacy is to reject violence, protect free expression, and meet one another in the arena of ideas. Now is a time for prayer, reflection, and an absolute rejection of violence and the rhetoric that fuels it.”

Senate Democratic Leader Rebecca Perkins Kwoka said: “I am horrified by the murder of Charlie Kirk in Utah. This is a sobering moment when we must unequivocally condemn the normalization of political violence in America. Our prayers are with his loved ones as we mourn this terrible act.”

House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, said: “First and foremost my thoughts and prayers are with Charlie’s family as they grieve this heinous attack. Violence has no place in our politics. Charlie dedicated his life to inspiring young people to stand up for their beliefs. His voice and leadership will be deeply missed.”

NH Governor Kelly Ayotte, R-Nashua, said: “The assassination of Charlie Kirk is an attack on every American who values open debate and civic discourse. We must come together, Republicans and Democrats alike, to ensure that violence never replaces dialogue.”

Kirk’s death drew condemnation nationwide, with Republicans in New Hampshire and beyond underscoring that political violence — which they note has more often been directed at conservative leaders — threatens free expression and open debate in America.