As voters head to the polls just two days from now, the stakes for New Hampshire couldn't be higher.

We have the chance to turn the page on a failed economic agenda and instead stand up for small businesses and middle-class families again.

In the last month, the need for a new economic direction has grown even more urgent. Families who were already struggling to pay for everything from gas to groceries now tell me they're worried about whether they will be able to retire or send their kids to college. And business owners are worried about whether they will be able to buy inventory or make payroll.

Now, more than ever, we need meaningful change in Washington. And to do that we need a new senator with the experience and the will to tackle the challenges we face.

I began my campaign for Senate because I believe we need to bring the focus in Washington back where it should be "" on working families.

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As governor, I worked hard to strengthen our economy. During those years, we created over 66,000 new jobs here in New Hampshire by putting the needs of families and small businesses first while keeping New Hampshire's tax burden the lowest in the nation.

Over the last six years, we have seen what happens when our leaders in Washington turn their backs on working families. Under the watch of George Bush and Sen. John Sununu, the deficit has exploded. Paying off the debt increase of the Bush-Sununu years will cost the average New Hampshire family $133,000.

After the financial collapse on Wall Street, Congress and the Bush administration once again failed to deal with the real cause of the crisis. Instead of crafting legislation to address the lack of oversight and taxpayer protections, they asked the taxpayers to foot an $850 billion bill to clean up after the abuses and failures of Wall Street.

Their response was just a continuation of the failed policies that got us into this situation in the first place. And it was one more example of how Washington just doesn't get it.

As your senator, I will fight for real oversight, accountability and transparency. I will demand a return to balanced budgets through pay-as-you-go budgeting.

But in order to get our economy back on track, we also have to address some of the serious challenges facing our country.

We have to bring down the cost of energy. We can bring down oil prices in the short term by ending Wall Street speculation that is driving up costs -- and by increasing oil production on the 68 million acres that the oil companies already lease but don't drill.

Over the long-term, we can create real relief by ending the tax breaks going to Big Oil and using that money to invest in alternative and renewable energy sources. With an approach like the Manhattan Project, we can develop new, clean energy sources that free us from our dependence on Middle East oil and create 21st century jobs.

We also have to find a solution to skyrocketing health-care costs.

In 2006, during a discussion about health care, John Sununu told a group of small business owners to "stop complaining about health-care costs." That's not the kind of leadership that New Hampshire needs.

I know we can ease health-care costs by standing up to the big insurance and drug companies. As governor, I stood up to HMOs to prevent them from denying New Hampshire families the medical care they need, and it's something I'm not afraid to do in the Senate.

Finally, we have to ensure our workers are prepared to compete for the jobs of tomorrow. We need to help more middle-class families afford college by increasing student loan opportunities, expanding Pell grants and providing loan forgiveness for students who dedicate themselves to national service.

The road ahead won't be easy. It will take leadership and courage to face our problems head on and develop real solutions.

I believe we can change course in this country. But to achieve a new direction, New Hampshire needs a new senator. I hope you'll come out on Tuesday and cast your vote for change. Let's turn the page and get this economy working for all of us again.

Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, was governor from 1997-2003. She is seeking election to the U.S. Senate.