Lunney resigns from Statehouse, served Meredith

MEREDITH — A former first-term state representative resigned his elected position in September.  

Matthew Lunney of Meredith resigned his seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives effective Sept. 23, according to records kept by the Office of the House Clerk.

He did not notify Belknap County administration he intended to resign, nor that he had resigned, until asked to confirm after administrators heard about his resignation several weeks later. Rep. Matt Coker (R-Meredith) remains as the town’s lone representative to the Statehouse.

In the Republican primary for state representative in September 2024, Lunney received the second-highest number of votes at 345, to Coker’s 749. The pair beat Edward Twaddell III, who received 309 votes. In the General Election in November 2024, the voters of Belknap County District 2 sent both Coker and Lunney to serve in the Statehouse.

On Wednesday, Clerk of the House Paul Smith read aloud Lunney’s letter of resignation, addressed to House Speaker Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) and dated Sept. 22, 2025, on the floor of the House in session:

“Mr. Speaker, please accept this letter as my formal, immediate resignation from the New Hampshire House. I will be moving out of the area I represent and will no longer be able to be a state representative. It has been an honor to serve. Thank you, Matt Lunney, Belknap County 2.”

Little was known of Lunney ahead of his election — he did not participate in candidate surveys and he did not return requests for interviews made by The Laconia Daily Sun. Lunney did not return requests for comment about his resignation. 

According to his candidacy website, Lunney’s family has lived in Meredith since 1921, when his grandfather built a cabin on Bear Island. He grew up in Moultonborough, according to that website, and, at the time of the election, resided in Meredith. He described himself as the owner of a small staffing agency.

According to the New Hampshire Constitution, all intermediate vacancies in the House may be filled “in the same manner as biennial elections are made.” In New Hampshire, the governor can call for a special election to fill a House vacancy.

The special election should be held between 110 and 124 days following the governor’s call. But no special election should be held after March 15, of the second or last year of an individual’s term.

"To the best of my knowledge, Meredith has not requested a special election," Aaron Goulette, chief of staff to Packard, said Wednesday morning. 

In a single-district town like Meredith, their respective select board would have to request a special election be held, and send that request to the Office of the Secretary of State. On Wednesday, Assistant Secretary of State Paula Penney confirmed the office had not received any such request.

The selectboard discussed the matter and is not inclined to request a special election, Town Manager Judie Milner wrote on Wednesday afternoon. After considering the timeline for a special election, board members believe the elected person would be seated too far into the legislative season to be effective — especially considering it is the second year in the state's biennial budget — and close to another General Election.

Lunney, during his brief time as a member of the Belknap County Delegation, served on its Budget Review Committee. In Concord, he attended sporadically, and voted sporadically, as well.

In a letter dated Aug. 21, 2024 — about a year before Lunney’s eventual resignation — Assistant Attorney General Brendan O’Donnell of the Election Law Unit warned Lunney against making false statements in official matters, after he apparently misrepresented his place of residence on his declaration of candidacy for the office of state representative from Belknap District 2. 

He violated RSA 641:3 about misdemeanor unsworn falsification, according to the conclusion reached by that office and communicated to Lunney in the August letter. They also concluded Lunney did not violate RSA 641:2 about misdemeanor false swearing.

Following an investigation, that office concluded Lunney wrote a false mailing address on his declaration of candidacy, and noted they exercised their own discretion in not pursuing criminal charges against him, because he was indeed qualified to run for office in Belknap County District 2, as he lived elsewhere in the district; the affidavit portion of his declaration did not contain false information; and he promptly corrected the address with the Secretary of State’s Office one week after filing.