Rochester state Senate candidate ends campaign over residency requirement concern

Cecil Abels, a Rochester Democrat running for state Senate, announced he is ending his campaign over concerns he may not meet New Hampshire’s residency requirement.

New Hampshire requires state Senate candidates to live in the state for seven years before they can be elected. Abels said that in 2020, he spent nine months living in Kittery, Maine, a town just across the border.

“That may put me just short of the requirement,” he said in a video posted to Facebook. “I’ve spent more than 14 of the last 15 years in New Hampshire, and I’ve never stopped thinking of myself as a Granite Stater.”

Abels, a barbecue restaurant owner, was seeking to unseat incumbent Sen. James Gray, a Republican and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Abels’ name will be on the ballot during the Nov. 3 election, but he said if he is elected he will not accept the seat.

“I signed a filing saying I met the requirements and I should’ve checked first,” he said. “The moment I realized this requirement exists, I raised my hand and I sought legal advice. The requirement is the law and I respect it.”