Following the Sept. 13 primary in which Chris Sununu received a slim plurality of the Republican vote, we asked if he could rise to the challenge of uniting his party and winning the general election.

In watching his performance on the campaign trail leading up to Nov. 8, that answer is a resounding yes.

Sununu has proven to be more than a surname in one of New Hampshire’s most well-established political dynasties; he is a serious candidate with a strong business record. He has a broad approach to attracting new ventures into the Granite State through lower taxes and creating more competition within the health care industry here.

Sununu has called for Medicaid expansion to potentially sunset in New Hampshire over the next few years. This will allow the flexibility to design solutions to meet New Hampshire’s needs instead of deferring to bureaucrats inside the Beltway.

His opponent, Democrat Colin Van Ostern, has called to make the expansion permanent despite the murky future of Obamacare. Sununu would oppose Affordable Care Act regulations.

"Once you made something permanent out of Washington, you’ve lost all control," he told The Telegraph during an Oct. 26 editorial board interview.

Sununu has said ineffective leadership in the corner office has led to a slowdown in the state’s economy. We agree that a stable economy is contingent on its workforce, and Sununu recognizes the importance of modernizing the state’s long-standing business-friendly advantages better than Van Ostern and his platform.

He proposes incentives to keep New Hampshire college students in the state with a loan assistance program offering debt reduction for those who enter high-demand occupations such as teaching and nursing. A Sununu administration will also keep community colleges competitive by expanding partnerships with in-state businesses to create work-study courses that give employers a pipeline directly to the new generation of employees.

These incentives are vital to keeping pace in a rapidly aging region. But perhaps his most important goal is to address the ongoing drug crisis by finding ways to create more treatment and prevention jobs and reintegrate those in recovery to the workforce.

Sununu has pledged to find state grants for recovery centers that offer training and job readiness, as well as tax credits to businesses willing to invest in such programs.

"No business wants to move into a state that is known for heroin deaths and fentanyl deaths," he said.

There is no doubt the opioid epidemic is the No. 1 concern for the next governor. We saw Sununu address this problem firsthand in his own business, creating resources at Waterville Valley Resort for those with substance abuse issues and advocating for better peer-to-peer support systems.

As governor, Sununu would fast-track the permitting process for those looking to open treatment centers to ensure that government red tape doesn’t keep addicts from receiving the care they need. He also has called for additional law enforcement tools and stiffer penalties for those trafficking and dealing drugs in our state, particularly when it comes to those bringing fentanyl and other synthetic opioids here.

"We better get tough with these drug dealers, because they think that selling a little pill for $5 is no big deal – that is death. That could kill someone in one shot, we all know that now," he said. "And so we better get tough with those who are going to be dealing that."

The best way to fight the opioid crisis and move New Hampshire’s economy forward is with Chris Sununu as our next governor.

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