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New Hampshire elections to watch in 2024: Deadline for filing for state candidates

Anna Harden June 16, 2024 in dday Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , - 7 Minutes

CONCORD — The battle for governor is taking center stage in the 2024 New Hampshire primary election for state government offices. But with large vacancies in the New Hampshire Senate and shakeups throughout the legislature, there are still plenty of exciting races to play out as the ballot deadline approaches.

The race to succeed four-term Republican Governor Chris Sununu includes two Democrats (City Councilwoman Cinde Warmington and former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig) and two Republicans (former State Senate President Chuck Morse and former U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte).

Jon Kiper is also running in the Democratic primary. Other Republicans running for governor include Shaun Fife, Richard A. McMenamon II, Frank Negus Staples and Robert Wayne McClory.

The state's primary election will be on September 10 and the general election on November 5.

More: Craig and Warmington seek the Democratic nomination for governor. What voters need to know.

More: Ayotte and Morse seek Republican nomination for New Hampshire governor: What voters need to know

Who will fill NH Senate President Jeb Bradley’s seat?

Several Senate seats are vacant after Senators Jeb Bradley (R-Wolfeboro) and Lou D'Allesandro (D-Manchester) announced their retirements this year.

Shortly after Bradley's resignation was announced, Republican Rep. Mark McConkey (Freedom) announced his candidacy for Bradley's seat in the 3rd District.

“Jeb is an absolute legend in the New Hampshire House of Representatives,” McConkey said in a press release. “He stood by his principles and stood up for those he represented. These are the qualities that I believe made him a great public servant and the qualities I will continue to bring to the Senate.”

Former state Rep. Bill Marsh is running as a Democrat. He was a Republican when he was first elected as state representative for Carroll District 8 in 2016 and said New Hampshire needs someone to continue the “tradition” of “working with both sides to solve real problems.”

Marsh and McConkey are the only people who participated in their respective primaries.

In the 20th District, Manchester School Board member Sean Parr and Manchester Democrat Rep. Pat Long are both running in the Democratic primary to replace D'Allesandro. Brittany Ping, who ran unsuccessfully for state representative and Manchester School Board member, ran on the Republican side.

Sen. Becky Whitley, D-Hopkinton, who represents the 15th District, is not seeking re-election in 2024 after dropping out of the race for New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District. Rep. Angela Brennan, D-Bow, Rep. Rebecca McWilliams, D-Concord, and Merrimack County Commissioner Tara Reardon will compete in the Democratic primary to succeed her. On the Republican side, Pamela Ean, who ran for representative for Merrimack's 10th District in 2020 and lost, has filed to run.

Senator Carrie Gendreau (R-Littleton) faces pharmacist David Rochefort (R-Littleton) in the 1st District primary. Rusty Talbot is running in the Democratic primary.

“I know firsthand that the needs of the First Senate District go beyond the typical partisan posturing of Concord,” Rochefort said in a statement June 3. “In the North Country, we focus not on political slogans or partisanship, but on getting the job done and fighting for our neighbors.”

Senate elections in New Hampshire's coastal counties

Senator Bill Gannon (R-Sandown, District 23) faces a challenge in the primary from state Rep. Emily Phillips (R-Fremont), who said she wants to bring “more transparency” to the Senate.

“For too long, the state Senate has ignored the will of voters, caved to lobbyists and been the body where good bills go to die,” Phillips wrote in a post on X in May. “That must change, and I'm running in this race to make sure that happens.”

Her priorities include Second Amendment rights, parental rights, New Hampshire's Education Freedom Accounts program, and “health freedom” issues such as opposition to mask and vaccine mandates.

After filing the paperwork on Friday, Gannon said in a post on X that he looked forward to “continuing to deliver conservative results to Granite Staters.”

There are no Democrats in the race for the 23rd district yet.

Neither Senator Debra Altschiller (D-Stratham) in the 24th District nor Senator David Watters (D-Dover) in the 4th District have challengers in the primary. But former Republican state representatives have filed in both districts: Patrick Abrami will face Altschiller in November and Shawn Mickelonis will challenge Watters.

Senator James Gray (R-Rochester) and Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka (D-Portsmouth) currently face no competition from either Democrats or Republicans.

What to look out for in the race for the Executive Council

Republicans hold a 4-1 edge on the council, which can approve state contracts. Democrats are sure to emphasize funding health care for low-income women in 2024, as Republicans on the council have repeatedly opposed it, fearing the money will be used for abortions by clinics like Planned Parenthood and the Lovering Health Center, despite assurances from Republican Gov. Chris Sununu and the state attorney general that this is not the case.

Janet Stevens, R-Rye, has represented several coastal communities on the Executive Council for the 3rd District seat since 2020. This year, former state Sen. Jon Morgan is running in the Democratic primary.

More: Jon Morgan fights for Janet Stevens' seat on the NH Executive Council

With current County Councilwoman Warmington running for governor, her seat is now vacant. Lebanon City Councilwoman Karen Liot Hill is running against Michael Liberty in the Democratic race, while Kim Strathdee, who lost the Republican primary for that seat in 2022, and Concord woman Mary Rose Deak will face off in the Republican primary.

Ted Gatsas, a Republican who has represented the 4th District since 2018 after serving as a state senator and mayor of Manchester, is retiring this year. A large group of Republicans have lined up to succeed him, including 2022 2nd Congressional District candidate Robert Burns, former state Sen. John Reagan, Manchester Ward 7 Councilman Ross W. Terrio, former state health commissioner John Stephens, 5th District State Board of Education member Ryan Terrell and anti-vaccine activist Terese Bastarache. Manchester School Board Vice Chairman Jim O'Connell is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Emmett Soldati, a Democrat and owner of the Teatotaller Cafe in Concord and Dover, has filed to run against incumbent Republican 1st District Councilman Joseph Kenney. Soldati has previously unsuccessfully sought several offices, including 2nd District Councilman and state Democratic Party chairman. There is no challenger in the primary.

Melanie Levesque is running against Shoshanna Kelly in the Democratic primary for the 5th District. She is running against incumbent Dave Wheeler, who is expected to win in the Republican-leaning district.

400 seats in the House of Representatives: What you should pay attention to

At the end of the House session on Thursday, Representative Marjorie Smith (D-Durham) rose to speak about Representative Steve Shurtleff (D-Penacook), a former Speaker of the House who has served since 2004. Shurtleff is retiring this year and no one has yet filed to succeed him.

“I look around and realize that about a third of us in the room will not be back for the next term. That's the usual turnover,” said Smith, who had just filed for her 14th term.

On the coast, Buzz Scherr, a professor at UNH Law School and a member of the Portsmouth Police Commission, and Carrie Sorensen, both Democrats, are running in the primary to replace retiring Reps. Joan Hamblet (D-Portsmouth) and Rebecca McBeath (D-Portsmouth), respectively. No Republican has yet filed for the primary for those seats.

Rep. David Meuse (D-Portsmouth) said it will also be interesting to watch the race for Rockingham's 29th District, which represents Hampton. Erica de Vries will be running there again after losing the general election for the 40th District in 2022. Three other Democrats (Rep. Chris Muns (D-Hampton), Rep. Mike Edgar (D-Hampton) and Alan Scott Blair) and four Republicans (George R. Attar, Nicholas D. Bridle, Bruce Theriault and Ken Sheffert) have filed to run for those four seats.

Representatives Erik Johnson (D-R) and Jennifer Mandelbaum (D-R) of Portsmouth, both elected to the House in special elections in late January, are running for re-election seeking their first full terms. Brian Griset is running in the Republican primary for Johnson's district, and Republican Keith Mistretta is running in Mandelbaum's district.

Meuse said it is common in New Hampshire for representatives to run unopposed. In some districts, there are no candidates at all.

If this happens for an office, the New Hampshire Democratic and Republican parties can nominate individuals to fill those positions, the secretary of state said. The nominees must accept their offer by June 19.

Other candidates have filed for several offices as independents. They must obtain a certain number of signatures from registered voters to officially appear on the ballot.

The state primary election will take place on September 10. The winners of the primary will qualify for the general election on November 5.

Editor's note: State Senator Debra Altschiller is the wife of Howard Altschiller, editor-in-chief of Seacoast Media Group.

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