About

I am Ben Colbath, I am running for NH State House to give Conway a strong voice in Concord.

Ben Colbath is running as a Democrat to represent Carroll County District 1 — Conway — in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

"Born at Memorial Hospital and raised in the Mount Washington Valley, I come from a family that has called this place home since the early 1800s. My roots run deep here, and I'm raising the next generation of my family in this same community.

My family, business, and civic experience make me uniquely qualified to represent Conway in Concord. I've served nine years on the Conway Planning Board, the last six as chair, giving me a firsthand understanding of the needs of our resort and tourism-driven town. In that role, I helped shepherd Conway's new master plan to completion, built on real public engagement that reflected residents' actual hopes and concerns. I am also guiding a full rewrite of our zoning ordinance to fix rules that had become inconsistent and hard to navigate. That work has taught me how Conway's government truly functions — better than the distant legislators pushing to strip local control from towns like ours.

After starting out in carpentry and cabinetmaking, I found my calling as a signmaker, and today I run (with partners) Gemini Sign and Design, a small business here in the Mount Washington Valley.

My wife, Staci, and I have five children, all educated in Conway Public Schools. Staci was the managing partner at Flatbread Company for many years and five years ago went back to school, and became a registered nurse. These perspectives gave our family firsthand insight into the challenges facing tourism-based service businesses and the Mount Washington Valley's healthcare workforce shortage and accessibility. 

Housing affordability, healthcare access, and strong public schools aren't abstract issues to me — they're my daily life.  Running a small business and being a public school parent, and lifelong Mount Washington Valley resident, I'm asking for your vote on November 3, 2026, so I can bring that lived experience to Concord and fight for Carroll County District 1.