The flurry of filings for elected office is officially over in New Hampshire.
During the eight-day filing period that ended last week, New Hampshire political candidates marched into the State House, often with supporters in tow and some manufactured pomp and circumstance, to sign the paperwork to run for office and answer questions from the press.
New Hampshire voters will cast ballots for a number of races on Sept. 8. The winners of those races will move onto the general election on Nov. 3.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is not seeking reelection, which has set up an open primary to replace her. New Hampshire governors have two-year terms, which means Gov. Kelly Ayotte will have to fend off challengers if she wants to keep her office. And there are hundreds of competitive contests in the state’s 424-person Legislature.
Who will represent New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate?
Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas was the first to step into the race for U.S. Senate. The Manchester native has been a congressman since 2018, when he was elected to the House of Representatives. Now, he’s asking Granite Staters to promote him to Congress’ upper chamber.
He’s being challenged by progressive Karishma Manzur, of Exeter, who has never before run for elected office. She’s attempting to run to the left of Pappas, a centrist, on issues like the war in Gaza and campaign finance reform. Other Democratic challengers include David Jarvis, of Manchester; Maxwell Saal, of Walpole; and John Vail, of Easton.
On the Republican side, John E. Sununu, who served in the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2009, is asking voters to send him back to Washington, D.C. The candidate is the brother and son of two former governors — Chris Sununu and John H. Sununu, respectively — who collectively make up one of the state’s most famous political dynasties.
Scott Brown, who served as a U.S. senator representing Massachusetts from 2010 to 2013 before moving to New Hampshire, is also seeking the Republican nomination. This is his second time running for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire; in 2014, he lost to Shaheen. During President Donald Trump’s first term, Brown served as ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.
Tom Alciere, of Hudson; Sky Danley, of Portsmouth; Andy Martin, of Manchester; Mary Maxwell, of Concord; Richard A. McMenamon II, of Gilmanton; and Sabrina Ann Smith, of Pittsfield, are also in the Republican primary.
Who is challenging Ayotte for governor?
Ayotte is rounding out her first term in the State House’s corner office with an approval rating of 49%, according to UNH’s April Granite State Poll. She’s now seeking reelection on promises that her work with the Legislature will address skyrocketing housing costs and that she will continue her tough-on-crime agenda. Before becoming governor, Ayotte was a U.S. senator and state attorney general.
Shaun Fife, of Gilmanton, and Bob Wayne McClory, of Goffstown, have filed to challenge her in the Republican primary.
Her biggest challenge comes in the form of Concord Democrat Cinde Warmington, a former executive councilor and healthcare attorney. Warmington ran for governor in 2024, but lost in the primary to former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig. This year, she’s the only Democrat on the ballot. Warmington has attacked Ayotte’s role in expanding the voucher-like education freedom account program, which she says is increasing property taxes, and her proposal for new premiums for some Medicaid enrollees. However, she’s been beleaguered by criticisms of her past work lobbying for opioid manufacturers and clinics.
Four candidates — Jon Kiper, Everett Howard, Stephen Villee, and John Horsley — are running as independents.
A crowded congressional race
The race for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District has drawn a massive crowd. The district covers the Eastern half of the state, including Manchester, Laconia, and the Seacoast region. After Pappas relinquished the seat to run for Senate, the race became wide open.
On the Democratic side, former Portsmouth City Councilor Stefany Shaheen — daughter of Jeanne Shaheen — and Marine Corps veteran Maura Sullivan, who worked in the Obama administration and has run for this seat before (but ultimately lost to Pappas in 2018), lead in the polls of a nine-person race, per the UNH Granite State Poll.
Carleigh Beriont, a Hampton Select Board member; state Rep. Heath Howard, of Strafford; and lawyer and Army National Guardsman Christian Urrutia, of Moultonborough, are all trying to claim the progressive mantle in the race. Sarah Chadzynski, of Goffstown; Bill Conlin of Dover; Matthew Emerson, of North Conway; and Sarah Bella Spinosa, of Manchester, round out the Democratic ballot.
The Republican side is also crowded. Portsmouth businessman Anthony DiLorenzo is self-funding his campaign. Manchester state Rep. Brian Cole is trying to use his experience in the State House to convince voters to send him to Congress. Newfields businesswoman Hollie Noveletsky is trying to establish herself as the most pro-Trump candidate in the race.
Melissa Bailey, of Bedford, and Lindsey Anderson, of Moultonborough, are also vying for the nomination.
A potential rematch in the 2nd District
U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander, a former Biden administration official and attorney for congressional Democrats, is attempting to fend off challengers in her first reelection bid in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes Nashua, Concord, and the North Country. State Rep. Paige Beauchemin, of Nashua, is challenging Goodlander from a progressive angle.
Lily Tang Williams, who moved to New Hampshire from Colorado as part of the Free State Project, is again running for the Republican nomination. This is her third time in the race. In 2024, she secured the nomination but narrowly lost to Goodlander in a surprisingly close race for the liberal-leaning district.
Williams will have to beat Michael Anthony Callis, of Eaton; Dan Nicholson, of Nashua; and Victor Orlando, of Hollis, in the primary to make that rematch a reality.
The Executive Council
The Executive Council, an elected body unique to New Hampshire, serves as a check on the governor, approving contracts and vetting appointments. Currently, the council is controlled by Republicans by a 4-1 margin.
All five current councilors are seeking reelection, and all four Republicans have a Democratic challenger.
Luz Bay, of Dover, is seeking to unseat Wakefield’s Joe Kenney in District 1. Lisa Sheldon, of Portsmouth, is challenging Rye’s Janet Stevens in District 3. Jim O’Connell, of Manchester, is challenging fellow Manchester resident John Stephen in District 3. And Melanie Levesque, of Brookline, is running to replace Milford’s Dave Wheeler in District 5.
Additionally, some Republican incumbents face primary challengers. Stevens will face Gregory Whirley, of Derry, in the September primary. And Stephen will face Terese Bastarache, of Loudon, and Harriet Cady, of Deerfield.
Lebanon’s Karen Liot Hill, the only Democrat on the council, will face one of two Republicans in November: Tobin Menard, of Newport, or Kim Strathdee, of Plymouth.
The state Legislature
Only two Republican incumbent state senators are facing a primary challenge in September. That’s Loudon’s Howard Pearl, who will face off against Epsom’s Julie Smith, and Keith Murphy, who is being challenged by Raymond’s Anthony Clements.
Incumbent Republican Sens. David Rochefort, Tim Lang, Mark McConkey, James Gray, Dan Innis, Denise Ricciardi, Tim McGough, Kevin Avard, Sharon Carson, Victoria Sullivan, Regina Birdsell, Daryl Abbas, and Bill Gannon are running unopposed in their primaries.
Sen. Ruth Ward, of Stoddard, is retiring from the Senate. Republican state Rep. Jim Creighton is seeking to replace Ward.
Sen. Pat Long is the only Democratic senator facing a primary challenger. Matthew Ping, of Manchester, is seeking to beat him out for the nomination.
The rest of the Democratic incumbents — David Watters, Suzanne Prentiss, Donovan Fenton, Tara Reardon, Rebecca Perkins Kwoka, and Debra Altschiller — are unopposed in the primary.
Sen. Cindy Rosenwald, of Nashua, is retiring. State Rep. Laura Telerski, who was the second highest ranking Democrat in the House, is running to replace Rosenwald. She will face Republican Daniel J. Paul, of Nashua, in the general election.
Other Senate challengers include state Rep. Bobbi Boudman, a Democrat who won a special election in March and is going up against McConkey. Democrat Timothy Wyatt is challenging Carson, who currently serves as Senate president. McGough, who has been beleaguered by accusations of abusive behavior toward staff and removed from the GOP caucus over it, is being challenged by Amherst’s Shannon Chandley in the general.
These ballots are based on the secretary of state’s final counts, which may not include any filings that were done at local town offices on the final day of the filing period.
In the 400-seat House, Democrats hope the political environment — the party that controls the White House often performs poorly in midterm elections — will help them retake control of the chamber from Republicans, which currently has a 214-175 advantage, with one independent.
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