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Stories about New Hampshire

Special election to be held in New Hampshire House district

By Tyler King
In State
October 15, 2021 at 11:02 AM

A special election is being held on Oct. 26 for the Cheshire 9 District of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Andrew Maneval (D) and Rita Mattson (R) are running in the general election. The winner of the special election will serve until December 2022.

The seat became vacant after Douglas Ley (D) died from cancer on June 10. Ley had represented the district since 2012.

Heading into the special election, Republicans have a 207-188 majority in the New Hampshire House with five vacancies. New Hampshire has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers.

As of October, 64 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2021 in 21 states. Between 2011 and 2020, an average of 75 special elections took place each year. New Hampshire held 29 state legislative special elections from 2011 to 2020.

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Special election primary to be held in New Hampshire House district

By Tyler King
In State
October 11, 2021 at 11:33 AM

A special election primary is being held on Oct. 19 for the Rockingham 6 District of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Thomas Cardon, Jodi Nelson, and Neil Wetherbee are running for the Republican nomination. Mary Eisner is unopposed in the Democratic primary. The general election is taking place on Dec. 7, and the winner of the special election will serve until December 2022.

The seat became vacant on Aug. 5 after Anne Copp (R) moved out of the district. Copp had represented the district since Jan. 2021.

Heading into the special election, Republicans have a 207-187 majority in the New Hampshire House with six vacancies. New Hampshire has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers.

As of October, 64 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2021 in 21 states. Between 2011 and 2020, an average of 75 special elections took place each year. New Hampshire held 29 state legislative special elections from 2011 to 2020.

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Filing deadline passes for Concord municipal election

By Jaclyn Beran
In State
September 21, 2021 at 10:30 PM

The city of Concord, N.H., is holding nonpartisan general elections for mayor and ward councilors on Nov. 2. The filing deadline for candidates paying a fee in this election was Sept. 13. The filing deadline for candidates filing by petition in this election was Sept. 17.

In the mayoral race, incumbent Jim Bouley will face Taylor Hall in the general election. Bouley has served as the city’s mayor since 2008.

Twelve city council seats are on the ballot in 2021. The candidates that win the Nov. 2 general election will serve two-year terms. Ward 5 incumbent Robert Werner and Ward 6 incumbent Linda Denison did not file for re-election.

Nine incumbents—at-large incumbent Amanda Grady Sexton, at-large incumbent Fred Keach, Ward 2 incumbent Erle Pierce, Ward 3 incumbent Jennifer Kretovic, Ward 4 incumbent Karen McNamara, Ward 7 incumbent Keith Nyhan, Ward 8 incumbent Gail Matson, Ward 9 incumbent Candace Bouchard, and Ward 10 incumbent Zandra Rice Hawkins—are unopposed in the general election. Ward 6 candidate Paula McLaughlin is also running unopposed in the election.

There will be two contested races on the general election ballot. Ward 1 incumbent Brent Todd will face off against William Barton. Todd has served on the city council since 2014. In the Ward 5 race, Stacey Brown and former city councilor Mark Coen are facing off in the general election. Coen previously served on the city council for 13 years.

Concord is the third-largest city in New Hampshire. It had an estimated population of 43,627 in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2021, Ballotpedia is covering municipal elections in 22 counties and 70 cities, including 40 mayoral elections.

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Special elections to be held in two New Hampshire House districts

By Jaclyn Beran
In State
September 1, 2021 at 5:20 PM

A special primary election is being held on Sept. 7 in the Cheshire 9 District of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. A special general election is also being held to fill a vacant seat in the Hillsborough 7 District in the state House. The winners of the special elections will serve until December 2022.

In the Hillsborough 7 District race, Catherine Rombeau (D) and Linda Camarota (R) will face off in the Sept. 7 special election. Since only one candidate from each political party filed, the primary that was originally scheduled to be held on Sept. 7 was canceled, and the special general election was moved to that date. The special general election was originally scheduled for Oct. 26. The seat became vacant after David Danielson (R) passed away on May 22. He was elected to the state House in 2012.

In the Cheshire 9 District race, Lucille Decker and Rita Mattson are running in the Republican primary on Sept. 7. Andrew Maneval is unopposed in the Democratic primary. The primary winners will face Donald Primrose (ind.) in the Oct. 26 special general election. The seat became vacant after Douglas Ley (D) died from cancer on June 10. He had served in the state House since 2012 and was the state House majority leader from 2019 to 2020.

Heading into the special election, Republicans have a 208-186 majority in the New Hampshire state House with six vacancies. New Hampshire has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers.

As of September 2021, 57 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2021 in 20 states. Between 2011 and 2020, an average of 75 special elections took place each year. New Hampshire held 29 state legislative special elections from 2011 to 2020.

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29 candidates file for 14 school board seats in Manchester, New Hampshire

By Kate Carsella
In Local
July 29, 2021 at 1:16 AM

On July 23, the filing deadline passed to run for elected office in the Manchester School District in New Hampshire. The primary is scheduled for September 21, and the general election is scheduled for November 2, 2021. 

Candidates filed for all 14 of the school district’s Board of School Committee seats–two at-large seats and 12 ward-specific seats. Ten incumbents are running for re-election, including two at-large members and eight ward-specific members.

The Manchester School District served 13,452 students during the 2018-2019 school year. 

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Candidate filing deadline passed July 9 for two New Hampshire state legislative special elections

By Ballotpedia staff
In State
July 14, 2021 at 11:49 AM

Candidates interested in running in the special elections to fill two vacant seats in the New Hampshire House of Representatives had until July 9 to file. The special elections are being held in the Hillsborough 7 District and Cheshire 9 District. The winners of the special elections will serve until December 2022.

In the Hillsborough 7 District race, Catherine Rombeau (D) and Linda Camarota (R) will face off in the Sept. 7 special election. Since only one candidate from each political party filed, the primary that was originally scheduled to be held on Sept. 7 was canceled, and the special general election was moved to that date. The special general election was originally scheduled for Oct. 26. The seat became vacant after David Danielson (R) passed away on May 22. He was elected to the state House in 2012.

In the Cheshire 9 District race, Lucille Decker and Rita Mattson are running in the Republican primary on Sept. 7. Andrew Maneval is unopposed in the Democratic primary. The primary winners will face Donald Primrose (ind.) in the Oct. 26 special general election. The seat became vacant after Douglas Ley (D) died from cancer on June 10. He had served in the state House since 2012 and was the state House majority leader from 2019 to 2020.

Heading into the special election, Republicans have a 212-186 majority in the New Hampshire House with two vacancies. New Hampshire has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers.

As of July, 44 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2021 in 17 states. Between 2011 and 2020, an average of 75 special elections took place each year. New Hampshire held 29 state legislative special elections from 2011 to 2020.

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New Hampshire House of Representatives

State legislative special elections, 2021



Voters to decide Concord City Council special election on July 13

By Jaclyn Beran
In Local
July 9, 2021 at 12:30 PM

The city of Concord, New Hampshire, is holding a nonpartisan special election on July 13 for Ward 4 on the city council. The filing deadline for the special election passed on May 14. The winner of the special election will have to run for re-election in Nov. to retain the seat.

Edith Chiasson, Karen McNamara, and Connor Spern are facing off in the special election. The special election became necessary after Meredith Hatfield resigned from her seat in April to move out of Concord. She had served on the city council since she won a special election for Ward 4 in June 2019.

Concord is the third-largest city in New Hampshire. It had an estimated population of 43,627 in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Ballotpedia will also be covering the Concord mayoral race and 12 city council seats on the Nov. 2 ballot. The filing deadline for those races is Sept. 13. In 2021, Ballotpedia is covering municipal elections in 22 counties and 71 cities, including 43 mayoral elections.

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Two New Hampshire House of Representatives special elections set for Oct. 26

By Daniel Anderson
In State
July 7, 2021 at 11:39 AM

Elections officials have scheduled the special elections for the Cheshire 9 and Hillsborough 7 seats in the New Hampshire House of Representatives for Oct. 26. The seats became vacant after Douglas Ley (D) died on June 10 and David Danielson (R) died on May 22. The primaries are on Sept. 7, and the filing deadlines are on July 9. If no primary is necessary, the general election will be held on Sept. 7 instead.



Special election to be held on June 8 in New Hampshire House district

By Tyler King
In State
June 1, 2021 at 10:16 PM

A special election is being held on June 8 for the Merrimack 23 District of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Muriel Hall (D) and Christopher Lins (R) are running in the general election. The winner of this special election will serve until December 2022.

The seat became vacant after Samantha Fox (D) resigned on January 12. Fox had represented the district since 2018.

Heading into the special election, Republicans have a 212-186 majority in the New Hampshire House with two vacancies. New Hampshire has a Republican state government trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers.

As of May, 38 state legislative special elections have been scheduled for 2021 in 16 states. Between 2011 and 2020, an average of 75 special elections took place each year. New Hampshire held 29 state legislative special elections from 2011 to 2020.

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New Hampshire state Representative David Danielson dies

By Mercedes Yanora
In State
May 26, 2021 at 10:32 AM

New Hampshire state Representative David Danielson (R) died on May 22. Danielson had represented the Hillsborough 7 district in the New Hampshire House of Representatives since 2012 and was a member of the House Finance Committee. 

Sherman Packard (R), the current state House speaker, said in a statement, “He [Danielson] worked tirelessly for his community on the Bedford Town Council, the Town Planning Board and the 10-Year Master Plan committee…He was a dedicated statesman and was serving his 5th term in the House and served as Vice Chairman of Finance Division II.”

When there is a vacancy in the New Hampshire House, a special election must be held. A town or city in the district must first make a formal request to the governor and executive council for a special election. The governor and council will act on the request within 21 days and then set the filing deadline and election dates.

This is the seventh state legislative vacancy this year caused by the death of an incumbent legislator. Kansas, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Virginia have each lost one state legislator, while Pennsylvania has lost two.

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