Dover, N.H. - New Hampshire's general election in began at 6:45 a.m. this morning when U.S. Senate candidate Representative Paul Hodes walked a day in the shoes" of nursing home caregiver Nicole Thomas in Strafford County.

Hodes spent the morning taking care of residents at the Riverside Rest Home in Dover, including feeding them breakfast, housekeeping, and participating in a disaster training exercise with staff and Dover firefighters to ensure patients can be transported to safety in any emergency.

Nicole Thomas, a licensed nursing assistant, is a single mother of two young boys who also is attending classes at night to obtain her nursing degree. "It's tough," she says about her schedule. "I work here all day- where I love all of these patients - then I take care of my own boys, study, go to school three nights a week, do my own homework and get ready for another day."

"Across our state, there are mothers and fathers like Nicole who work hard for every dollar they earn and care deeply for the people they serve, their families and improving our communities," said Hodes when asked what he would take back to Washington from his experience on the job. "She's a great worker and I was proud to be part of her staff today."

Video will be posted by the end of the week.

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