Filing period for candidates running in Sept. primary just a week away

The filing period for candidates running in the State Primary election in September opens in just a week’s time.

The primary, on Sept. 13, will be the first election using the new district boundaries for congressional and legislative districts — changes that impact many central New Hampshire communities.

For example, Laconia and many other Belknap County municipalities are now in a more Lake Region-centric State Senate district — District 2 — instead of in Senate District 7 which included Franklin and six other communities in Merrimack County.

In another notable change, for the first time in memory Laconia will be divided into two legislative districts with Wards 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 comprising one district with four seats, but with Ward 2 combined with Gilford and Gilmanton in another four-seat district.

Some candidates have already made public their plans to run.

State Rep. Tim Lang and former Belknap County Commissioner Dave DeVoy, both Republicans from Sanbornton, have announced they are running for the District 2 state Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Bob Guida who is retiring after three terms in the upper chamber.

Those who have already thrown their hat into the ring for the House include state Rep. Mike Sylvia, R-Belmont, who is the chair of the Belknap County Delegation, as well as Democrats David Huot and Charlie St. Clair, both of whom have previously served in the House.

Besides Laconia, the new Senate District 2 consists of Belmont, Center Harbor, Gilford, Meredith, New Hampton, Sanbornton, Sandwich, Ashland, Campton, Holderness, and Thornton.

With redistricting, Belknap County goes from nine districts to eight, but maintains 18 seats in the House of Representatives. The newly arranged House districts in Belknap County are as follows.

District 1: Center Harbor, New Hampton; one seat. No change from previous district.

District 2: Meredith; two seats. With redistricting Meredith is in a district of its own, and is no longer paired with Gilford.

District 3: Sanbornton and Tilton; one seat. This district loses one seat under redistricting, but gains an additional seat under a newly constituted floterial district.

District 4: Belmont: one seat. This district loses one seat under redistricting, but gains an additional seat under a newly constituted floterial district.

District 5: Laconia (Wards 1, 3, 4, 5, 6); four seats. Restricting takes Ward 2 out of a Laconia-only district.

District 6: Laconia (Ward 2), Gilford and Gilmanton; four seats. Under redistricting Gilford finds itself paired with part of Laconia, as well as Gilmanton.

District 7: Alton, Barnstead; three seats. Barnstead loses its own district, and the floterial district it shared with Alton has been eliminated.

District 8: Belmont, Sanbornton, Tilton (floterial); two seats. Belmont was previously in a one-seat floterial district with Laconia.

A floterial district is one made up of a number of voting precincts which would not be entitled to additional representation, but whose combined population entitles the area to another seat in the legislative body.

The filing period opens June 1 and closes June 10.