Young voters will play a critical role in this year's election because the central issues directly affect their future, Former New Hampshire Governor and Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Jeanne Shaheen said in a conference call with college media outlets on Thursday afternoon.

With many students focused on the presidential election, Shaheen stressed the importance of giving Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama a new Democratic ally in the Senate. Should Obama win, she said, he needs a Congress that will move his agenda forward.

From 1971, the year 18-year-olds were given the right to vote, until 2004, there was a downward trajectory of voter turnout among young people, Shaheen said. In 2004, however, there were one million more voters under 30 than over 65. Shaheen hopes that, this year, young voters will help Democrats win the election, she said.

"Dartmouth is going to be very important in this election," Shaheen said. "Students on campuses across the state are important because students have the ability to determine the outcome of this election."

Shaheen added that everyone should have access to higher education. To achieve this goal, she supports increasing the cap on federal student loans, expanding Pell Grants and increasing loan forgiveness for students who are willing to give back to their communities and the country, she said.

Incumbent Senator John Sununu, R-N.H., has voted repeatedly for student loan cuts and voted against expanding Pell Grants 13 times, Shaheen said. As a result, New Hampshire students graduate with the second-highest debt in the country, she said.

Shaheen also criticized Sununu for being an ally of President George W. Bush, adding that Sununu has voted with the president 90 percent of the time. Sununu will "maintain the status quo," Shaheen said.

"First, we need a new direction in Washington and for the country," she said. "Second, we need a new senator from New Hampshire."

Shaheen outlined her priorities, which include bringing troops home from Iraq in a phased withdrawal, refocusing military efforts on the regrowth of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, reining in health-care costs, creating jobs and investing in infrastructure, she said. She also stressed the importance of decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil, saying that investing in alternative energy sources is both a security and economic imperative.

Shaheen discussed the economy at length, criticizing Sununu's vote in support of the $700 billion bailout recently passed by Congress.

"Right now we're leaving a big credit-card bill that will come due for current students and our children and grandchildren," she said. "We need to get the fiscal house in order and have a senator who stands for fiscal responsibility."

Shaheen's experience as governor will give her the ability to work across the aisle with independents and Republicans, she said. She pointed to her refusal to raise income taxes in 1999 as an example of a time she acted against her party's opinion.

"Leadership is about making tough decisions," she said.

When asked about areas where she disagrees with Obama, Shaheen said that she does not believe the government should give subsidies for ethanol production. As more policies come up for debate, she will show her willingness to stand up for what she believes in, Shaheen said.

Shaheen reemphasized her readiness to work across the aisle when asked how she would respond if she is elected senator and Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain is elected president.

"During my three terms in the state senate and three terms as governor, I had to work with people who I didn't agree with," she said.

Shaheen currently leads Sununu by nine points, according to the most recent polling by the American Research Group, Inc. Democrats have been the majority party in both chambers of the New Hampshire Congress since 2006, when Democrats beat Republican incumbents in the congressional race and Democratic Gov. John Lynch stayed in power with 76 percent of the vote.

But Shaheen said that she believes the Senate race is still close.

"This is a very tough race and we need your vote," she said.