GOFFSTOWN, NH – The New Hampshire Democratic Primary is now one week away and actress Ashley Judd was on hand at Apotheca in Goffstown Village to pump up a crowd of primarily eager Elizabeth Warren supporters.
Judd has made 10 visits to New Hampshire this cycle on behalf of the Massachusetts Senator, who she is supporting due in large part to their shared experiences growing up in rural America as well Warren’s ability to take life lessons and apply them in attempts to help others, such as with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
“She welds her lived experience with action,” said Judd.
Judd also reminded the crowd of the importance of next Tuesday’s Primary, going as far as to call the vote a matter of “life and death,” referring to a Warren volunteer she met who was diagnosed with cancer and stopped volunteering only to restart after fearing that President Donald Trump might make her cancer treatment unobtainable if he was re-elected.
Robin Skudlarek of Londonderry has attended 10 Warren-related events so far during the campaign and has canvassed frequently for Warren, but Wednesday marked the first time she heard from a Warren surrogate speaker.
Skudlarek says her son is supporting U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and her husband is trying to decide between either Warren or U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). However, she believes her family and most of the room at Apotheca will vote for the Democratic nominee, whoever it is.
“We will vote blue no matter who in the end, but I love to see the first female president,” she said. “She’s qualified, she’s amazing and she’s a woman. I think we’re really ready for that.”
Not everyone in the room was there to see Judd, such as Brad from New Boston. Brad, who declined to give his last name, comes to Apotheca every day to get a cup of tea and had heard that Judd was coming on Wednesday but honestly forgot.
Brad is currently supporting Sanders for his healthcare policies, stating that if the United States can spend trillions of dollars on foreign wars, money can be found for healthcare. Like Skudlarek, he will support whoever faces Trump in November.
“All of the Democratic candidates have something good about them,” he said. “But I’m with (Michael) Bloomberg, anybody is better than Trump.”
The New Boston resident also saw Klobuchar and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) at the café earlier in the campaign cycle. Apotheca has also hosted former Miramar,FL Mayor Wayne Messam and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) as well as other Warren surrogates.
