BEDFORD — Americans for Prosperity, the national conservative organization which says it has 1.8 million activists, hosted a family barbecue Thursday to give the citizens a chance to meet office holders and candidates.

Corey Lewandowski, who heads AFP's operations in New Hampshire and Ohio, said the aim was to bring out as many people as possible to meet the candidates, and to get them to the polls on Sept. 11.

“Really we're encouraging people to show up on election day,” he said. “We're not here to advocate for or against a political party or any particular candidates at all. We're here to give people information and let them decide.”

Lewandowski said the event is part of a national initiative.

“If you don't do something like this, most people on a nice day are just going to stay home and see their families. This is an opportunity to come out and meet your neighbors, ask some questions you wouldn't normally get an opportunity,” to ask, he said.

Lewandowski said the organization's three basic points are low taxes, less regulation and smaller government.

State House Speaker Bill O'Brien delivered a speech as onlookers munched on complimentary burgers, potatoes, baked beans and pasta salad.

“I think (AFP) are great supporters of liberty,” O'Brien said. They support “low taxes, smart regulation, and the free market so it will bring back prosperity to our country generally,” he said.

O'Brien said the top state issues going into the new legislative session include voter ID initiatives, the prevention of nepotism, welfare eligibility reform, affordable government and continuing to bring back jobs — many of the projects currently underway in the Republican-led legislature.

Former Claremont school board member Cynthia Howard, a Republican running for the House, was on hand to discuss her vision for the state, which includes a focus on cutting government spending.

“The state has an $11 billion deficit. We need to reduce that deficit and go through the non-essential spending, the agencies that we don't need… and downsize the state,” she said.

Republican Dennis Lamare is challenging incumbent Republican Second District U.S. Rep. Charlie Bass of Peterborough.

“The country's going in the wrong direction and it's putting American in jeopardy,” Lamare said at the event. “The Congress is the biggest villain in all of this because they passed some laws that are unconstitutional, and they're always increasing the deficit and the debt limit without offsetting it with any meaningful spending cuts.”

Jeremy Dupuis was among the few Democrats at the AFP gathering. Running for the New Hampshire House in Bedford, he said his top issue is education.

“Every single education rule in the last two years, we've seen it attacked,” he said.

“Instead of finding out how to cut schools we need to support schools, for our children. They are the future. The more we support education, the better our future prospects will be.”

Rick Parent of Wolfeboro is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta, inspired by Guinta's vote to raise the debt ceiling.

“My second issue would be the current representative to Congress has voted for the Patriot Act, not once but twice, and that's just taking away more of our freedoms.”

Parent said Guinta is caving to party pressure, and that's not what the people of New Hampshire sent him to do.

Parent described himself as theTea Party challenger to the party establishment.

srios@newstote.com