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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A special election was held on April 13 for the Hillsborough 21 District of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Bill Boyd (R), a current town councilor in Merrimack, defeated Wendy Thomas (D) and Stephen Hollenberg (Independent) with 53% of the vote. Thomas came in second with 45% of the vote. Boyd’s term will last until December 2022. The Hillsborough 21 District is a multi-member district made up of eight seats. The district is currently represented by six Republicans and one Democrat.
The seat became vacant after the death of state House speaker Dick Hinch (R) on Dec. 9 from complications caused by COVID-19. Republicans gained control of the state House in the November 3 general election and Hinch was elected speaker on December 2. He previously served as the minority leader and the majority leader in the state House. He was first elected to the state House in 2008.
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. Republicans control the New Hampshire House of Representatives by a margin of 212-186 with two vacancies.
As of April 2021, 33 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 2010 to 2020.
A special election primary is being held on April 20 for the Merrimack 23 District of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Christopher Lins and John Martin are running in the Republican primary. Muriel Hall is unopposed in the Democratic primary. The general election is taking place on June 8, and the winner of this special election will serve until December 2022.
The seat became vacant after Samantha Fox (D) resigned on Jan. 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 April, 33 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.
A special election is being held on April 13 for the Hillsborough 21 District of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Wendy Thomas (D), Bill Boyd (R), and Stephen Hollenberg (independent) are running in the special election. The winner will serve until December 2022. The Hillsborough 21 District is a multi-member district made up of eight seats.
The seat became vacant after the death of state House speaker Dick Hinch (R) on Dec. 9 from complications caused by COVID-19. He was sworn in as House speaker on Dec. 2 and previously served as state House minority leader and state House majority leader. He was first elected to the state House in 2008.
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. Republicans control the New Hampshire House of Representatives by a margin of 212-186, with two vacancies.
As of April 2021, 33 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 2010 to 2020.
John Formella was confirmed as New Hampshire’s next attorney general by the Executive Council of New Hampshire on March 24 by a vote of 4 to 1. Gov. Chris Sununu (R) nominated Formella to the position on March 3. Formella has served as legal counsel in Gov. Sununu’s office since 2017.
WMUR reported that Sununu congratulated Formella, saying “John’s work ethic is unmatched, and I have no doubt he will make an exceptional Attorney General and advance the best interests of Granite Staters. I look forward to working with him and the Department of Justice in the years ahead.”
Formella succeeds Gordon MacDonald, who left office earlier this year due to his nomination as chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. Deputy Attorney General Jane Young assumed the duties of the attorney general’s office when MacDonald stepped down. According to the governor’s office, Formella will take office after “an appropriate transition period.”
Prior to becoming legal counsel to Gov. Sununu, Formella worked for the New England law firm Pierce Atwood LLP. He was first hired as a summer associate in 2011 and was promoted to a full-time attorney in 2012.
The New Hampshire attorney general serves as head of the Department of Justice. The office’s primary responsibilities include acting as attorney for the state in criminal and civil cases in the supreme court, prosecuting crimes, enforcing the state’s criminal laws, and collecting unpaid debts to the state.
