3 of 4 seats blue in Belknap 6 Statehouse race

Rep. David Nagel (D-Gilmanton) switched parties earlier this year, but affiliation didn’t seem to matter, as the physician and longtime resident of the Lakes Region received the most votes in Belknap 6 to retain his seat on Tuesday.

Three out of the four seats now belong to Democrats. Nagel received 3,492 votes between the voters of Gilford, Gilmanton, and Laconia’s Ward 2, to get reelected to his third term in office.

Fellow Democrat Bob McLean — also a member of the Gilford School Board — was not far behind with 3,436 votes. Jade Wood, a Republican recently reappointed to the Gunstock Area Commission, received 3,353 votes for third place. Democrat Lisa Rivard rounded out the winners with 3,283 votes.

Republican Priscilla Bean was narrowly defeated with 3,259 votes. She was followed by Democrat Allan Frank with 3,168 votes; Republican Colleen Harkey with 3,143 votes; and incumbent Rep. Glen Aldrich (R-Gilford) with 3,120 votes.

“I am very appreciative to all the people in the area who saw what I was about, and supported my message of unity,” Nagel said. “That is what is very important, because systems out of balance don’t work very well.”

Nagel said balance is of utmost importance, and is apparent now in the Belknap County Delegation, with nine members from each party, to make a 50/50 split. This is vastly different from the 15-2 majority Republicans had going into the election.

“My main concern is that we need to preserve that balance, respect the people in the middle and not make the same mistakes again,” Nagel said. “The Republican Party deviated so far to the right, and basically ignored the middle.”

Nagel hopes his fellow Democrats will learn a lesson and not repeat the same mistake now tables have turned, both statewide and federally. Nagel is happy with the win, and to be able to serve the district and the state as best as he can with healthcare, childcare, housing, and education all in mind.

One thing which will be tough for him to forget is how his former party treated him. He was unhappy with the “hateful ads” about him in both the primary and general elections, as well as how they treated him while in the Statehouse.

“I will never stop being angry about what the Republicans did to me,” he said. “That is difficult for me to forgive. Fortunately, most of my Republican friends are wonderful people, and I look forward to working with them.”

A big upset was losing Aldrich, a Free State-leaning Republican who was unsuccessful in earning a sixth term, albeit non-consecutive.

“I’m glad a lot of the Free Staters are gone,” Nagel said. “They certainly don’t represent freedom and liberty in the sense that our founding fathers believed in, or the founding fathers of our state.”

In what is referred to as the “Blue Wave” that swept through the country, he said there is some collateral damage. He was sad to see Denise Ricciardi, a District 9 state senator vying for reelection, will no longer be in office. He said she got wrapped up in the “general feelings of the Republican Party.”

“Innocent people get harmed in the blue tsunami,” Nagel said.

McLean was excited for his new role, and to be serving alongside his fellow elected candidates.

“I really think, if you look at the results, there are a lot of people frustrated with what is going on right now and looking for a change,” McLean said.

McLean said the even split in the county delegation is huge, and could make a real difference in how Belknap County finances services, namely Gunstock Mountain Resort operations, the county jail, and the sheriff’s department. He also said the new influx of Democrats will help at the state level, as well.

“Now that we have the majority in the state, we can really slow some of the negative legislation coming in, especially against public schools,” McLean said.

He knows it has only been a day since the results came in, but he is already thinking of all the ways he can find better solutions for everyone in the county, and the state as a whole. Through his work on the school board, he is privy to energy organizations coming in to perform audits, to come up with costs and benefits regarding things like solar power.

“I really think these are areas I’d like to pursue on the state level, as well,” McLean said.

He knows he is just one of more than 400 representatives in Concord, but with the majority, he believes “positive steps can be taken, rather than playing defense.”

Wood prided herself on navigating the county, and Gunstock Mountain, through some dark days, including a temporary mass exodus of employees in 2022. Since then, she’s been a big piece of the puzzle on the Gunstock Area Commission, working with the delegation to get the mountain back in good standing.

Most recently, Wood helped present a check for nearly $400,000 to the county delegation — Belknap's elected representatives to the Statehouse — which was a portion of the mountain’s increasing revenue. She said Gunstock Mountain is about 90% debt free, and next year will probably be over that hump entirely.

Wood, a conservative Republican, ran on a platform of affordability, education, and taxes, saying “they all tie in together.” In an interview in June, she said she will be there for constituents when they need her, and plans to have office hours once a month at the district’s town and city halls. She said residents can count on her for her attendance in Concord, as well as at the county complex.

On Wednesday, she expressed how happy she was for the voters to give her the chance to lead.

“I’m thrilled and humbled at the opportunity to serve and represent Belknap County in this new capacity,” Wood wrote in an email. “The campaign process was extremely gratifying. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to connect with my friends and neighbors in District 6 and was encouraged by the productive and supportive discourse every step of the way.”

Rivard ran for state representative, because she felt like Gilford wasn’t being represented under the current leadership. She is a Gilford High School graduate, and later attended Lakes Region Community College. Rivard said when the Gunstock Mountain debacle happened in 2022, it scared her, because it felt like her backyard was attempted to be taken out from under her.

Rivard cited cost of living concerns as a main issue, as well, saying the average cost of a starter home in New Hampshire is around $560,000 and climbing. She supports local control, and doesn’t think Concord should be handing down additional restrictions on how communities should function.

She doesn’t support an income tax, as New Hampshire “has done very well without one," and said in a September interview it could be considered for a “very last resort.”

On Wednesday, Rivard said she was “surprised and honored” to be elected. She knew voters were looking for change, and she was excited to see such a drastic shift from the voters in New Hampshire, and beyond.

“I am really impressed that Belknap County came together to actually elect a bipartisan group,” Rivard said. “I am looking forward to working with the rest of the delegation on the problems that Belknap County has been having.”

Frank said he was “tickled to death” by the process, saying being the new guy in the area, he found the whole process to be “fantastic.” Frank said he made great friends, and learned more about the Lakes Region, specifically District 6.

While he admits this sounds political, he said it was never about him, but rather to push forward for the state and the country. He plans to learn more about positions available at the town level, perhaps local offices and committee, now that he knows a lot of the key players. Frank quoted Arnold Schwarzenneger, saying, “I’ll be back.”

Harkey was picking up her campaign signs on Wednesday following the loss. While she was disappointed, she was also “extremely thankful” for the people of Gilmanton for sending so many votes her way. She knew she was “the unknown person,” and would have been surprised — but overjoyed — to get a seat.

Harkey knows people voted with “a passionate heart,” and a clear message was sent. She hopes challenging issues like school funding aren’t just answered with implementing more taxes, however.

“Despite the fact the school cap didn’t go through, it received a lot of significant votes at the local level,” Harkey said.

An area of concern she had from this election was some organizations which weren't as transparent as she’d like. She said some information compiled about candidates wasn’t necessarily accurate, and didn’t like how a shadow was cast on certain candidates who weren't in lock step with a survey from a supposed bipartisan organization. In future elections, she is calling for “equal transparency.”

If there’s a chance down the road, she would “think about” another try at elected office. Harkey hasn’t lost faith in the Republicans making a resurgence.

“I really think New Hampshire is unique, and I wouldn’t count the Republicans out in the future,” Harkey said.

Bean was disappointed she couldn’t carry on the legacy of her late husband, Harry Bean, who was chair of the county delegation when he died Feb. 14. She was happy to see the number of voters who hit the polls, and said it was a clear representation of the district as a whole.

“I lost, of course, but I feel as though the people voted on who they wanted,” Bean said. “I don’t know about everyone else, but in Gilford, we almost hit the 80% mark, and that’s an awfully high percentage.”

Republicans losing eight seats in Belknap was tough, she said, but that could all change in future elections. Accepting the defeat can be difficult, but she congratulated all winners ,regardless of party affiliation, and hopes those elected will help the county and state.

“I’d like to congratulate everybody, including the Democrats,” Bean said. “They fought hard, apparently a little harder than the Republicans, I’m not sure. They got the people out to vote.”

Aldrich agreed with Bean, saying the people have spoken. He said he is “kind of sick to my stomach,” because he is concerned the borders will be opened back up, and is concerned this could mean higher taxes and budget woes at the state level.

The county delegation being at an even split could even be beneficial, he said. This is something he hasn't seen since he was elected, in 2016.

Like Bean, Aldrich is rooting for the new group, regardless of party.

“We had a blue wave, there’s no doubt about that,” Aldrich said. “It might have even been a tsunami.”