Democrats surged in races up and down the ballot and across the state Tuesday, retaking the Executive Council and appearing to gain significant majorities in both the New Hampshire Senate and House of Representatives. For Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican who bucked the trend and won a second term Tuesday, the split control in Concord could create headaches as she seeks to push through her preferred policies over the next two years.
While the Associated Press has yet to call most state-level legislative races, the New Hampshire Democratic Party said it believes it won a supermajority in the New Hampshire House and control of the state Senate, and may have swept the Executive Council, a somewhat obscure but powerful government body.
See the latest New Hampshire State House election results here.
Paul Smith, the House clerk, announced Wednesday that Democrats may hold a 292-107 advantage over Republicans, with one Independent. He cautioned that there are likely to be recounts and other tight races with vote tallies still trickling in that could alter the final balance of power.
In the state Senate, the Associated Press is forecasting a 15-9 margin for Democrats, just shy of a veto-proof majority, though several races there also remain uncalled.
“House Democrats are already rolling up our sleeves to bring costs down and deliver concrete results for Granite Staters,” Rep. Alexis Simpson, the House Democratic leader, said Wednesday. “We look forward to doing so in 2027 and beyond.”
Voters 'want something very different'
All five Democrats are projected to win their Executive Council races, per the Associated Press. That five-person body plays a central role in the day-to-day functions of New Hampshire government: Councilors approve contracts for state agencies, and also confirm commissioners and other top appointments made by the governor.
It also has final say on all judicial nominees in the state, including approving who will sit as the next justice on the New Hampshire Supreme Court, following former Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald’s resignation in September following an ethics probe.
“We're going to actually be able to make progress for the people of New Hampshire,” said Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill, a Democrat from Lebanon who won her second term, defeating Tobin Menard, a retired Air Force meteorologist.
“It looks like voters have made some very clear choices about what they want for their future, and they want something very different,” she said.
The council’s five districts were redrawn in 2022 to heavily favor Republicans, who have held a majority on the council since 2018. Despite the unfavorable map, Democrats appear to have flipped four seats. Jim O’Connell, who serves on the Manchester school board, appears to have defeated Republican incumbent Councilor John Stephen in the 4th District.
“We’re going to ensure that the judicial appointments are made based on people’s competency and their ability to do the job, and not upon political affiliation,” O’Connell said.
In the 1st District, which includes portions of Coos, Carroll and Belknap counties, along with Dover and Durham, Democrat Luz Bay is leading five-term incumbent, Republican Joe Kenney, according to the Associated Press.
Bay is a two-term state representative who was born in the Philippines and holds a doctorate in educational measurement and statistics. Kenney, a retired Marine, served 14 years in the State House before running for the Executive Council in 2014.
In the 3rd District, covering the state’s southeastern corner, three-term GOP incumbent Janet Stevens is losing to Lisa Kennedy Sheldon. Sheldon hails from Portsmouth, and holds a PhD in nursing.
In the 5th District, David Wheeler, the longest-serving member of the council, appears to have failed to win a 9th term. The Republican from Milford ran against former State Senator Melanie Levesque of Brookline.
