Ayotte makes Supreme Court nomination; other key positions up for a vote

Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced she’ll nominate Daniel Will of Loudon to serve as the newest justice on the New Hampshire Supreme Court, replacing Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi, whose last year on the bench was marked by scandal.

Will, who has been a Superior Court justice since 2021, also served as the state’s first solicitor general under Chris Sununu, representing the state’s legal interests before the state and U.S. Supreme Courts.

His nomination is subject to approval by the five-member Executive Council, which will vote in the coming weeks. Ayotte, who will formally nominate him on Wednesday, said Will has the experience and integrity necessary for the role.

“Granite Staters expect fair, impartial decisions from their Supreme Court,” Will said in a statement. “If confirmed, I will strive each day to meet that expectation, uphold the rule of law, and help resolve disputes fairly and expeditiously.”

If the confirmation goes through, he’ll replace Hantz Marconi, who turns 70 — the mandatory retirement age for judges in New Hampshire — on Feb. 12.

Hantz Marconi spent her last year on the Supreme Court under investigation by state prosecutors who accused her of trying to influence an investigation into her husband, Geno Marconi, former state ports director. She pleaded no contest to a charge of criminal solicitation but was reinstated to the Supreme Court after her plea deal with just a few months left to serve.

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Ayotte also plans to nominate other contenders for key state positions.

Christopher Ellms of Webster is her pick to chair the Public Utilities Commission, which regulates New Hampshire’s utility industry and rates. He currently works as the Department of Energy’s deputy commissioner and was Sununu’s legislative director before that.

Diana Fenton, a career prosecutor from Mont Vernon, is under consideration to become the new child advocate. She currently leads the Department of Education’s governance unit, which handles local disputes and investigates teacher misconduct. She would replace Cassandra Sanchez, who fought against a Republican effort to eliminate her office last year. The office was ultimately pared down through budget cuts.

Lucy Lange, a longtime marketer in New Hampshire media and radio, is Ayotte’s nominee to lead the Department of Business and Economic Affairs. Taylor Caswell, the previous commissioner, resigned in the fall after struggling to gain the support of the Executive Council for another term.

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