Live Updates: Craig, Ayotte to face off in NH governor's race; Goodlander, Williams nominated in 2nd District
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NHPR’s news team spent Tuesday talking to voters and election officials at polling places across the state. Stay tuned here for updates on how the voting process is going and how the results are shaping up after the polls close. You can find the latest election results here.
Prescott prevails in close CD1 Republican primary; will take on Pappas
Former Executive Councilor Russell Prescott secured a narrow victory in the Republican primary in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District Tuesday, setting up a general election contest against incumbent Democrat Chris Pappas.
The Associated Press called the race for Prescott shortly after midnight, with 94% of polling locations reporting results that had Prescott with 26% of the vote.
Prescott, who lives in Kingston, came to the race with a long political resume. He had previously served two terms on the Executive Council, as well as 10 years as a state senator. He also ran for this same congressional seat in 2022, finishing fourth in the Republican primary that was won by Karoline Leavitt.
Prescott won a tight victory Tuesday over a field that included first-time political candidate Hollie Noveletsky, whose family owns Novel Iron Works in Greenland. According to the Associated Press, Noveletsky finished second with around 24% percent of the vote.
Williams wins Republican primary in 2nd Congressional District
Lily Tang Williams is the winner in the Republican primary for New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District, according to the Associated Press.
Williams, an entrepreneur and professional speaker who lives in Weare, has long been active in local Republican politics. Other major candidates in this race included Lincoln businessman Vikram Mansharamani and Hanover real estate professional Bill Hamlen.
As NHPR’s Josh Rogers previously reported, the retirement of incumbent Congresswoman Annie Kuster had Republicans feeling optimistic about their chances of reclaiming the district this year.
Craig wins Democratic primary race for governor
Former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig has secured the Democratic nomination for governor, according to the Associated Press.
The race pitted Craig against Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington and former Newmarket Town Councilor John Kiper. It was marred in recent months by bitter infighting between Craig and Warmington, as Craig took aim at Warmington’s past opioid lobbying work and Warmington criticized Craig’s handling of homelessness and other issues in Manchester.
Incumbent Gov. Chris Sununu decided not to seek reelection, paving the way for an open contest in November.
Warmington conceded the race to Craig.
“We did not get the results that we wanted tonight,” she told supporters, “but I am so proud of the campaign we ran.”
Morse tearfully concedes to Ayotte in GOP gov primary
At Chuck Morse’s election night party, an event that started off optimistic took a somber turn right after 8 p.m. when the Republican gubernatorial primary was called for his opponent, Kelly Ayotte.
A tearful Morse soon addressed a roomful of supporters at the Atkinson Country Club.
“I’ve never met a group of people so dedicated,” he said. “And I’ve been in a lot of races.”
"Chuck, we love you!” shouted one supporter as the former senate president struggled to get his words out.
Morse said he will attend the Republican party’s unity breakfast on Thursday and endorse Ayotte. He said he called Ayotte to congratulate her 10 minutes earlier.
“I'll do what I have to do to elect Republicans,” he said in an interview following his speech.
A fixture in New Hampshire politics for decades, Morse said he agreed with his family that this was his last campaign.
“So understand, all you people that like to tap me on the shoulder and say you’d like me to run for selectman or anything else, I’m making it pretty official,” he said, garnering a laugh from the room.
Bill Arsenault was surprised and disappointed about Morse’s defeat.
“He cares for the people,” he said. “It’s a shame.”
Arsenault said he’ll be voting for Ayotte in November, though somewhat unenthusiastically.
“That’s the only choice I have left,” he said.
Prior to the announcement, the room had been buzzing. Supporters said they were confident in their candidate as they snacked on sandwiches and sipped espresso martinis.
Ashley Glynn cited Morse’s small business ownership and civic involvement as reasons why she supported him.
She said he understands “it takes a whole community to run a business."
Van Ostern concedes to Goodlander in 2nd District Democratic primary
Colin Van Ostern just told supporters gathered in Concord that he has conceded the race to Maggie Goodlander.
The Associated Press had not yet officially called the race, but results showed Goodlander with a substantial lead.
As NHPR’s Josh Rogers previously reported, both candidates spent much of the campaign jockeying to prove their ties to the Granite State. Goodlander previously worked in the Biden administration and grew up in Nashua; Van Ostern moved to the state to work on campaigns and since put down roots in the state’s political scene, making a bid for governor in 2016 and Secretary of State in 2018.
Meanwhile, on the Democratic side...
The race for governor remains tight.
Cinde Warmington’s election night watch party is taking place at Phenix Hall in Concord. Joyce Craig and supporters are hanging out at the Rex Theatre in Manchester.
Jon Kiper is running in a distant third in the Democratic primary but won his hometown, according to results from AP.
Ayotte prevails in GOP race for governor
Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte has secured the Republican nomination for governor, according to the Associated Press.
The AP made the call moments after polls closed, as returns showed Ayotte with decisive margins over her main opponent, former State Senate President Chuck Morse.
Throughout the campaign, Ayotte emphasized her close ties to incumbent Gov. Chris Sununu, promising to keep New Hampshire on “the Sununu path.” Morse, meanwhile, leaned into the conservative wing of the Republican party, closely aligning himself with former President Donald Trump.
Polls are now closed across the state
Voting has wrapped up for the day. Bookmark our election results page for the latest tallies from the field.
State chooses 10 polling places for post-primary audit
State officials are already making plans to double-check the state primary results in 10 randomly selected polling places, as required under a new law and an order from the New Hampshire Ballot Commission.
The Secretary of State says one ballot counting device from each of the following locations will be audited: Londonderry, Loudon, Winchester, Dover Ward 3, Laconia Ward 2, Lebanon Ward 2, Litchfield, Milford, Sandown, and Walpole. The audits will take place on September 11 and 12 at the New Hampshire State Archives in Concord. Anyone is allowed to attend.
State and local election officials will help with the audits, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Hillborough: Hoping for an after-work rush
Hillsborough town clerk Deborah McDonald and election moderator Eric Ivanov watched people trickle into the town’s middle school gymnasium throughout the early afternoon. About 700 people had voted by 3:30 pm, and they were making predictions about how the rest of the day would go.
“It’s not going to break 1,000,” Ivanov said.
“Well it could get close. Think about it: we’ve got the 4 o’clock rush, then the 6 o’clock rush,” McDonald fired back.
“Close…” Ivanov teased.
Primaries are usually slower, both agreed, but they’re anticipating much larger crowds in November.
McDonald has been working elections for more than three decades, while Ivanov started three years ago. He said civic duty brought him to the job.
“The average age of everybody volunteering here is over 65. I’m 36,” he said. “I live here. Somebody’s gotta do it, right?”
By 5 pm, there were still no lines in the gym as voters came in after work.
Hillsborough residents Larry and Dianne Fort said they vote in every election, but were particularly interested in this year’s Governor’s race. Both said they were excited about Kelly Ayotte, who Larry described as “down-to-earth.”
“She just seems to be a little more knowledgeable,” Dianne said.
Both Forts said they were disappointed in the options for November’s presidential election, but Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s performances in tonight’s debate could help them decide.
Heidi Welch, who described herself as a moderate voter who leaned socially liberal and fiscally conservative, said she was also getting excited about Ayotte.
“I like her stance on some of the issues and I think her experience previously will be helpful, but I’m still fairly undecided,” she said.
Welch is now a professor, but in 2013 she was teaching at Hillsboro-Deering High School when she was selected to be New Hampshire’s Teacher of the Year. She said education and war were the two issues she was most concerned about, along with crime and immigration.
“I’m very passionate about how we bring education to kids and expanding opportunities for those students and supporting teachers so that they're not going out of pocket to just put things on their walls and give students experiences,” she said.
For Hillsborough voter Roger Boisvert, Joyce Craig and Maggie Goodlander brought some excitement to this primary. He said he also liked Michal Schamel, who had knocked on his door a couple of times while campaigning for a seat in New Hampshire’s House of Representatives.
But Boisvert is excited for younger generations to bring more perspectives into politics, and perhaps fracture the two-party system.
“I’m not one that will usually vote a straight ticket,” he said. “I vote for who’s the best person for the job.”
But, he said, he always makes sure to vote.
“There’s a lot of people that died so I could vote,” he said.
In Londonderry, ‘trying to filter out’ the negative attacks
Voting in Londonderry Tuesday afternoon was seamless, with almost no wait at the polls. The town, which is one of the largest single polling places in the state, saw more than 12,000 people vote in January’s presidential primary, but turnout for this state-level contest was trending far lower, according to local voting officials
Gene Rogers said he had no issues with the voting process, but he was frustrated with the level of negative campaigning he’s seen in recent weeks.
“I try to filter out as much as I can,” said Rogers. He also noticed that many statewide and even local races now are seen through the lens of national issues.
But Juan Carlos Garcia, another voter from Londonderry, said large scale issues are what’s on his mind.
“That’s the reason we do the voting, right? The economy, the social issues, wars. Pretty much everything is upside down, so we need to take care of that,” he said.
Garcia said he considers himself a conservative, but not a partisan. In the governor’s race, he backed Chuck Morse over Kelly Ayotte because he views him as a more direct communicator.
“He’s driving the nail,” said Garcia. “He’s the hammer, and he’s driving the nail right in.”
Loudon: New tech speeding up voting process
Loudon Town Moderator Rodney Phillips said turnout in today’s primary is steady but low – which he expected. Late afternoon, he estimated turnout to be around 30%, right on track with previous primary elections and their projections. He said he is expecting turnout in the general to be as high as 80%.
He said today is “a dress rehearsal for November.”
“Especially with the adopting of the new technology,” he said.
Loudon is one of a handful of New Hampshire towns rolling out updated voting technology this year. In Loudon, this included poll pads, devices which check-in voters by scanning their IDs. Phillips said this is a much faster alternative than traditional paper check-in lists, estimating that the pads cut the time a voter spends in a polling station in half.
“A lot's changing for us, but it's actually making our life much easier,” he said.
Secretary of State: 'One of the smoothest elections I’ve ever experienced'
As voting continues across New Hampshire, local voting officials are reporting no major hiccups with the process, and low to moderate turnout.
Londonderry is one of the state’s single largest polling locations…things can back up in the parking lot and inside the polling place during busy elections. But during the afternoon rush today, there was rarely more than a few minute wait to vote.
Secretary of State David Scanlan visited here as part of a tour of polling sites. He said there have been no major issues reported statewide.
"Today has been one of the smoothest elections I’ve ever experienced. I’m looking for some wood to knock on, because it is almost too good to be true.”
Scanlan was touring the state along with federal cybersecurity officials who focus on elections.
Voter voices: 'How am I going to manage?'
Voters are heading to the polls for today's state primary. In this final stretch before the general election, NHPR has been talking to New Hampshire voters about the issues they're paying attention to at the local and national level. Here's some of what we heard.
Denise Steadman: I think the homeless issue in New Hampshire is very important and the housing. So I'm hoping that whoever gets in can really help with construction, building homes for these people who want to come to New Hampshire. And I know a lot of people want to come to New Hampshire.
Barbara Desjardins: People get older and older, and as you become a senior and you become retired, you have a fixed income. That income doesn't change. Well, the cost of living goes up. You still get the same amount of money. So then you think about, “How am I going to manage?” And if anyone does anything to Social Security, I will be very, very mad. That's the truth. Because we have worked years and years.
Eric Habben: I hope that Donald Trump is elected. I certainly am in favor of his stance regarding illegal immigration. As to whether he's going to be able to deport the people or not, that remains to be seen. But certainly we need to at least have a pause as far as letting all these people in, because I think that it is not only economically bad for the country, but I also think that it is really dividing us. I think that the population as a whole will benefit from it, including those who came here legally.
Jesse Rutherford Resseguie: It's all a community at the end of the day. Policies I feel would help with that are keeping the personal liberties intact. If it's in your own home and it's your own body, you make your own choices. It's not something for somebody else to dictate how you deal with that. I am transgender and I am also not straight. And our legislation upholding non-straight marriage is kind of crucial for that to continue.
For more quotes and to listen to this story, click here.
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Epsom: 'We're not even opponents today'
For some canvassers in Epsom, today’s election is a family affair. Betty Gilkinson was decked out in Frank Cassidy’s campaign merch. When asked why she thought Cassidy was the best choice for county sheriff, she was up front: “For starters, he’s my son-in-law,” she said.
In a small town like Epsom, the atmosphere among many canvassers is collegial. Many of them have sat side-by-side for a slew of elections.
Steve Warner, a Democrat, was holding signs for candidates like Cinde Warmington and Colin van Ostern next to Republican State Rep. Dan McGuire. They chit-chatted during a lull in voters. “Dan’s a neighbor of mine,” Warner said. “This is primary day, we’re not even opponents today,” McGuire added.
Poll worker Bob McKechnie gets dressed up for the occasion. He was wearing a special polo covered in an American flag and the constitution. He says his festive shirts put smiles on the faces of voters.
“Wait ‘til you see my one for the presidential election,” he said.
Republican candidates for governor take different paths ahead of election day
As Chuck Morse readied to walk in the parade at Londonderry Old Home Days earlier this month, he was eager to make some predictions. One was that 2024 will be the year his decades-long political resume – in his hometown of Salem and as a State Senator in Concord – translates statewide.
“I think you can tell on the campaign trail that we’ve built such momentum that it’s working for the state,” Morse said.
Meanwhile, his rival in the race for the Republican Party’s gubernatorial primary, Kelly Ayotte, is focusing on persuading voters she’d keep New Hampshire on what she calls the “Sununu Path.” That includes joining the incumbent on one of Gov. Chris Sununu’s marathon Super603 Days in which the pair recently barnstormed from breakfast joints to boat rides, all captured on social media and all in the name of highlighting New Hampshire’s cultural and physical assets.
At the Londonderry Old Home Days Parade, Rockingham County Commissioner Steve Goddu said he’ll certainly support his party’s nominee, whoever it ends up being. But Goddu is backing Morse in the primary, and isn’t persuaded by Ayotte’s effort to tie herself to Sununu.
“You know, she’s got similar politics as Chris Sununu, and that’s been successful, but my preference is to have the most conservative governor that we can have, and I would think the Republican primary voter is going to vote for the most Republican Governor,” Goddu said.
The definition of “most Republican” in New Hampshire politics these days isn’t entirely clear. In this GOP primary, Morse is betting that means embracing Donald Trump, and the party’s grassroots activists. Ayotte is meanwhile hoping it means adopting the political profile most in tune with Sununu.
Concord: Service assists refugees with voting, transportation to polls
Among those voting in today’s primary are people who came to New Hampshire as refugees. In Concord, Clement Kigugu is spending his day making sure they can get to the polls.
Kigugu runs the Concord-based organization Overcomers Refugee Services. He’s got a team of staff out in the city today – giving people rides to the polls, helping them with language barriers, and answering questions about where to go or what documents to bring.
Speaking this morning outside the City Wide Community Center, where voters from Concord's Ward 9 cast their ballots, Kigugu said too many people have misplaced fears about immigrants and refugees in the current political climate. More than 4,500 refugees have settled in New Hampshire since 2010, according to state data, around a third of them in Concord.
“We're here for the safety of our children and ourselves,” said Kigugu, who is originally from Rwanda and came to the U.S. as an asylum seeker. “So when we're here, we really focus on our children ourselves and work for this country and contribute like everybody else.”
Daniel Hussein, a case manager with Overcomers Refugee Services, was bringing a Ward 9 voter to the polls this morning. He said many refugees come from countries without democratic elections, so they’ve had few opportunities to vote before. He tries to encourage people to take part.
“This is our way of getting our voice heard,” he said. “You can't sit down blaming later that, ‘Oh, this is not a good candidate,’ but you didn't vote. You had the opportunity to vote someone else, but you didn't.”
As Goodlander touts DC record, Van Ostern cites local ties
Many first time candidates run as political outsiders.
Maggie Goodlander isn’t.
The Democrat running in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District is touting both her ability to raise money nationally and her deep experience navigating Washington’s power structure.
Her momentum in this race is prompting her Democratic primary opponent, Colin Van Ostern, to play up the most parochial aspects of the New Hampshire resume he’s been building for the past 25 years.
When Goodlander spoke at a Sunapee house party last week, she was blunt when asked why she’s better equipped to win than Van Ostern.
“I’ve raised double what my opponent raised in about half the time,” she said. “And we are working really hard every single day."
On this day, Goodlander was working on a spit of lakefront property called Tilson Point, at the summer house of Whitney Tilson, a prolific Democratic donor who lives and votes in New York. Throughout her remarks, Goodlander, who grew up in Nashua and has held jobs in the Biden White House, the U.S. Department of Justice, clerked at the U.S. Supreme Court, and worked for several U.S. senators, asked the crowd to view her background as proof that she knows how to operate in DC.
As Goodlander worked the Sunapee lake house scene, Van Ostern was lifting a glass that same evening with supporters at a Concord brew pub — and hammering a New Hampshire-centered message.
“I know what unifies some of the effective leaders in Congress, like Annie [Kuster] and Chris Pappas and Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen," Van Ostern said. "It’s not that someone gave them a decoder ring for how Washington works. It’s that they know our communities like the back of their hands. I do too.”
After more than two decades in and around Democratic politics in New Hampshire — as a political staffer, an executive councilor, and a failed candidate for governor and secretary of state — Van Ostern’s claims to knowing the state are credible. And they were very much co-signed by voters who gathered at the brew pub,
Pittsfield: Economy is number one priority
Pittsfield select board member Carole Richardson is serving as a greeter at the town’s polling station, something she’s done for nearly a decade. She said this was the lowest voter turnout she’s ever seen.
“I think a lot of people are voting absentee,” she said.
Town clerk Erica Anthony was also surprised by low traffic so far. She said her office worked hard to get the word out and provide residents with information on how to vote. She wondered if all the focus on the November election distracted people from voting in today’s primary.
Voter Justin Cluff said the high school gym-turned-polling station was basically empty. “You can probably hear a pin drop in there,” he said. Cluff and other voters who did come out overwhelmingly said the economy is their number one priority.
Steve Paquette voted Republican, in hopes of the economy turning around. He said he never misses an election. “If you don’t vote, you should just keep your mouth shut,” he said.
Outside, local candidates made last-minute pitches to potential voters. Jim Allard, a former Republican and now Independent, and Sally Kelly, are running as a team to represent Pittsfield and neighboring Chichester respectively. They met on a candidate forum two years ago and realized that when one of them spoke, the other one would nod their head.
“Do we agree on everything? No,” Kelly said. “But I don’t know a constituent that agrees with an elected official on 100% of the issues. So I think we make a great team…I think it’s great for the people because it says we don’t care about the party, we care about the individuals more.”
Henniker: 'All politics is local'
Henniker’s polling place at the Henniker Community School had a slow turnout this morning. Cordell Johnston, the election moderator, said about 350 people had voted by 12:30.
“It seems like not everybody knows that there’s a primary election today,” he said.
The sluggish trickle into the polls may be due to the lack of a U.S. Senate race on the ballot, he said. But voting has been smooth so far. “It’s fairly typical,” he said. “The weather’s nicer than it usually is.”
Kirke Olson stood outside in the breeze after casting his ballot, sporting an “I Voted” sticker with an anthropomorphized New Hampshire state character holding a fishing rod. He enjoys voting in New Hampshire because he gets to meet people running in elections before they run for office.
“I’ve known them before they started campaigning,” he said. “They say all politics is local and in New Hampshire it’s especially so.”
Olson, an undeclared voter who said he pulled a Democratic ballot, says he’s particularly looking for politicians to help decrease animosity between people over politics. But he didn’t see much difference between some of the candidates. “I had to flip a coin,” he joked.
Henniker resident David Maclean cast his vote around 1:00. He said he’d been surprised at the negativity in some of the Democratic races, including the Governor’s race.
“I’ve been in NH for almost 30 years now and I just don’t remember it ever being that mean,” he said. “Even on the Democratic side it seems like it’s lost a lot of its civility.” But, he said, he thinks any of the candidates could do a good job. “I thought Sununu has done a pretty good job,” he said. He hopes the person coming in after he leaves office will take a similar approach, looking at politics from what Maclean calls a “New Hampshire perspective, not a party perspective.”
Eileen Kelly, who is running to be a state representative for Henniker, Warner and Bradford, stood outside the school and held a sign bearing her name. She said this year’s election is especially important to her as she watches New Hampshire struggle with housing affordability, public education issues, and policy around reproductive rights and climate change.
Voting itself is an important act, she said. “When I was 18, I went to see my grandmother. It was the time of an election, and my grandmother was talking about how she was married for five years and had two children before she could even vote,” she said. “It really hit me that my grandmother couldn't vote when she was my age, when she was younger. And I think we need to remember that as women we can't take things for granted. We need to vote.”
Attacks over opioids come to fore in Democratic gubernatorial race
Gubernatorial candidate Cinde Warmington’s legal career is getting a lot of attention these days. That’s in part because her main rival in the Democratic primary, former Manchester mayor Joyce Craig, is calling out Warmington for her work representing clients tied to the opioid crisis, particularly Purdue Pharma and a chain of pain clinics known as PainCare.
NHPR’s senior political reporter Josh Rogers spoke with Morning Edition host Rick Ganley about a negative campaign ad out recently.
Portsmouth: Voting progressing at a leisurely pace
Turnout struck a somewhat leisurely pace at two polling places in Portsmouth earlier today.
At Ward 4 at the Dondero Elementary School at 11:30 a.m., a handful of voters were marking their ballots. A tableful of primary day baked goods and treats in the hallway looked untouched. James Shanley, a ballot inspector in Portsmouth's Ward 4, estimated 260 of the ward's 2,500 or so registered voters had cast a ballot by noon.
“I think the turnout is about as expected,” he said. “I’d call it medium-slow to somewhat busy at times.”
Shanley said the busy time will be 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. when people get off work.
Exeter: Almost no wait to vote
In Exeter, Steve Singlar said there was almost no wait to vote and a smooth process in the polling area.
“To me, voting is, like, the greatest thing you can do. You get to see your neighbors, you come out, you see the candidates a lot of the times. It’s a great afternoon, even if it is dead of cold winter, which we do a lot of times here in March , when we are voting on town issues. But I think getting out and enjoying the day and casting your vote, to me, is kind of a special moment.”
Financial disclosures in CD2 race show significant financial holdings
A new financial disclosure filed by Democratic congressional candidate Maggie Goodlander shows investments and holdings that could be worth more than $30 million, including a trust fund with stock holdings worth between $5 million and $25 million and ownership stakes in properties in Bow, Hudson and Nashua.
Goodlander also owns real estate in Florida, where she holds interest in house lots, a shopping center, a golf course, and a spa and fitness center, according to the disclosure form, filed late Tuesday with the House of Representatives.
Much of Goodlander’s wealth derives from her grandfather, Sam Tamposi, a prolific Nashua land developer and businessman, who started out selling vacuums door to door and ended up as part owner of the Boston Red Sox.
Financial disclosures are required for members of Congress and congressional candidates. Goodlander’s new filing this week replaced an earlier disclosure in which she listed multiple assets — including a cell phone tower, multiple retirement and investment accounts, treasury notes and cash bonds — being of “undetermined” value. Experts in government transparency described that filing as unusual, given the easily verifiable value of many of those assets, including checking accounts and treasury notes.
Earlier this week, Nashua state lawmaker Paige Beauchemin, who has endorsed Goodlander’s Democratic primary rival Colin Van Ostern, filed a complaint over Goodlander’s disclosure.
Van Ostern’s disclosure, which he filed last month, also shows significant financial holdings of his own, including between $3 million and $5 million derived from ownership interest in Alumni Ventures, the Manchester-based venture capital firm he helped lead for four years before mounting his run for Congress.
Boscawen: Turnout lower than expected
Turn out is lower than anticipated, said Town Moderator Charlie Niebling. They've seen 260-270 votes near lunch hour. "Honestly I would've expected more given that we have open seats in contested races for governor and Congress," he said. "I'd have thought we'd have higher turn out."
Boscawen is one of the few towns that are using a new voting machine which Niebling said is working flawlessly making it an easy voting day at Boscawen Elementary School.
Bow: Housing remains a top concern for voters
In the town of Bow, several primary voters named housing as one of their top concerns.
Felicia Gennetti, a health care worker in her 30s, voted on the Republican side. She said it seems like everything, including housing, is getting more expensive.
"Rents are high for those who rent,” she said. “If you didn't buy a house four years ago, then you probably can't buy one now.”
Jessica Osterhoudt, 39, an attorney who voted in the Democratic primary, said lots of her friends are struggling to find an affordable place to live.
Some are “having their apartments sold out from under them and then having to find somewhere new, and then having to move out of state because there's nowhere to go,” she said. “People I know who want to move into the state can't, because there's nowhere to live that's affordable.”
Photos: Merrimack, Ward 3
Candidates for NH governor make primary pitches via TV ads
With New Hampshire’s primary day barely a month away, it’s crunch time for candidates to get voters to tune into their campaigns. This is particularly true in the open race for governor, where every major candidate has gone up with TV ads.
NHPR’s senior political reporter Josh Rogers spoke with Morning Edition host Rick Ganley about how the primary candidates in both major parties are positioning themselves.
Click here for the interview and transcript.
Northfield: 'Steady' is the word of the day
It's been a steady day at the Pine Community Center polling location in Northfield. "There's waves here or there," said Northfield town selectman Scott McGuffin. Some voters expressed desires to see all candidates, regardless of political party, on the ballot. Northfield voter Anthony Coy agrees and says he's leaning Democrat, but isn't really happy with the party.
Concord: A slow start to voting
Primary voting got off to a slow start in Concord’s Ward 9. Around 11 a.m., Moderator Steve Ludwick said about 250 people had cast ballots – below the 400 to 500 he was expecting for that point in the day.
“It's a beautiful day out there. I suspect that a lot of people are going to wait until the sun goes away, and then they'll show up,” he said. “I'm expecting a rush probably around 4, 5, 6, somewhere in that area.”
Polls in Concord are open till 7 p.m. today.
Franklin: Face time with candidates appreciated
Joshua Peruse, right, talks with Republican candidate for Merrimack County District James Thibault outside Franklin Middle School. Peruse says it matters a lot to him when candidates introduce themselves to voters.
As NH primary neared, accusations flew in key Democratic races
With New Hampshire’s primary election just a week off, candidates in competitive races were doing all they can to get voters’ attention. That includes ratcheting up negative campaigning — in person, via surrogates, and in campaign ads.
This year’s sharp-edged finish to the primary season is most pronounced in two high-profile Democratic races.
Drugs increasingly at center of Democratic gubernatorial primary
In the primary for governor, former Manchester mayor Joyce Craig and Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington are trading accusations over who has personally profited more from New Hampshire’s drug crisis.
Craig is criticizing Warmington for her work on behalf of oxycontin manufacturer Purdue Pharma as a lobbyist two decades ago and for serving more recently as a lawyer to a notorious New Hampshire-based pain clinic.
A recent Craig campaign ad accuses Warmington of “profiting off the opioid crisis” for more than 20 years.
Warmington, meanwhile, is criticizing Craig for having a financial stake in her husband’s law firm, which has advertised its work representing drug traffickers.
“It’s Joyce Craig, who is personally profiting from the defense of drug dealers trafficking oxycontin and cocaine,” a new Warmington ad alleges.
The ad also accuses Craig of “failed leadership” that made Manchester “the epicenter of the opioid crisis.”
Dueling endorsements in 2nd Congressional District primary
In the 2nd Congressional District primary, which pits former Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern against former Biden Administration lawyer Maggie Goodlander, the fighting is over the candidates’ connection to New Hampshire and abortion policy.
Van Ostern’s campaign is questioning Goodlander’s past political donations to Republicans who oppose abortion rights. Goodlander is criticizing Van Ostern for doing so.
“Colin Van Ostern is being dishonest with you about my commitment to reproductive freedom,” Goodlander says in a recent ad. “It’s disgraceful.”
That line of attack was echoed recently in an unusual revoked endorsement by former Gov. John Lynch, who announced last week that he was pulling his support for Van Ostern to back Goodlander over what he called Van Ostern’s “nasty” campaigning.
“I’m appalled by it, and my family is very upset about it as well,” Lynch told WMUR Saturday.
Van Ostern, meanwhile, has deployed Congresswoman Annie Kuster, who has held the 2nd District seat for six terms, to go after Goodlander.
In a recent Van Ostern ad, Kuster accuses Goodlander — who was born in Nashua but spent her adult life mostly working in Washington DC — of political opportunism.
“Maggie Goodlander hasn’t lived in our district for decades,” Kuster says.
Portsmouth: Slow and steady, expected to pick up
Turnout at Portsmouth’s Ward 2 polling place was slow, but steady to start the day, Selectman Diane Stradling said. Stradling, shown above checking the number of ballots cast shortly before 11 a.m., said 288 voters had cast their ballots. She anticipates voting to pick up in part due to the contested race for the Democratic nomination for governor.
Manchester: Turnout 'steady' in Ward 5
Supporters rally in favor of different candidates outside the polls at Beech Street School in Ward 5 of Manchester the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. Many of them have been holding signs since the polls opened and described turnout as "steady."
CD2 Democrats polish their resumes ahead of primary
The Democratic primary in the state’s 2nd Congressional District features two well-funded candidates — Colin Van Ostern and Maggie Goodlander — who largely agree on the issues. That’s one reason why the race has centered, for the most part, on the candidates’ biographies and competing resumes.
NHPR’s senior political reporter Josh Rogers joined Morning Edition’s Jackie Harris to discuss some of what the candidates are choosing to emphasize and de-emphasize about their careers as they campaign.
Click here for the interview and transcript.
Candidates in 1st district primary look to break through
At Sandown’s annual Old Home Days festival last weekend, politics seemed to take a backseat to the bouncy house, dunk tank, and face painting booth.
“I haven’t really paid attention” to the upcoming primary, admitted Jeff Babineau, a registered Republican who installs garage doors. In fact, with less than a month until Primary Day, Babineau said he wasn’t familiar with any of the GOP candidates in the race for the state’s 1st Congressional District.
That sentiment was echoed by Matt Kutcheid, a tractor trailer driver who said, of politics in general, “I’m very not into it.”
Voters like this, however, face a big choice in this year’s primary election. For much of the past 20 years, the 1st District was a true swing seat, but Democratic Congressman Chris Pappas has now won three straight elections, and is seeking a fourth term this November. The candidates in the Republican primary hope they can win back that seat by connecting with voters in a district that stretches from the Seacoast, to Manchester and through the Lakes Region. And they’re taking decidedly different approaches to that challenge.
Read more about the republican candidates for Congress here.
Pembroke: Voting 'pretty light' so far
Pembroke Town Moderator Tom Serafin said voting has been “pretty light” so far, which was expected for the primary. “Certainly expect a lot more a couple months from now,” he said.
Four things to watch in key primaries
New Hampshire voters will cast ballots today to select the nominees who will vie to succeed Chris Sununu as governor and Rep. Annie Kuster in the state’s 2nd Congressional District, and to take on incumbent Democrat Chris Pappas in the 1st Congressional District.
The primaries in the open seat races have been the most active — and most full of vitriol.
Pitched primary fights are common in New Hampshire politics, but they typically take place on the Republican side of the ballot. This year, the Democratic primaries for governor and in the 2nd Congressional District are the most hard fought, and far more focused on biographical details than on policy.
Here are a few things to watch ahead of the polls opening across the state Tuesday morning, from NHPR's Josh Rogers.
How candidates for governor are addressing climate change
Gov. Chris Sununu is leaving the highest office in the state after eight years, a period during which the effects of climate change and efforts to address them have only grown more intense.
Sununu’s tenure has been marked by a market-driven approach to energy and environmental issues and a focus on affordability. New Hampshire has been an outlier in the region, staying away from the methods its neighboring states have used to speed along the transition away from fossil fuels.
But across New England, the energy transition is gaining momentum, new technology is proliferating, and the electric grid is changing. The region is getting hotter and wetter, with extreme heat, flooding, and sea level rise becoming bigger threats.
And with a slate of new gubernatorial candidates, New Hampshire’s climate policies could also be in for big changes.
The two main Democratic candidates for governor, Joyce Craig and Cinde Warmington, have each come out with climate plans — a way they’re already setting themselves apart from Sununu.
Their plans are relatively similar. Both put the energy transition front and center, saying they’d support things like expanding energy efficiency programs, incentives for clean heat and cooling in new housing developments, and incentives for electric vehicle customers. They both say they’d want to increase renewable energy production like wind and solar.
All of the candidates in the race — Republicans and Democrats — say they’re opposed to a controversial landfill proposal in the North Country that’s been debated for years. But Warmington has perhaps focused on trash the most.
Kelly Ayotte is using similar language to Sununu on energy, focusing her statements on lowering costs for consumers and describing an “all of the above” approach – not specifically supporting or disavowing renewables. She says she’d let private markets come up with energy solutions.
Historically, Ayotte has diverged from her party on some climate issues. In a 2014 talk before a conservative nonprofit that works on clean energy solutions, she highlighted her support for energy efficiency and outlined a “pro business” approach to clean energy.
Chuck Morse is taking a slightly different tack. He’s also used the language of an “all of the above approach,” but he’s focused more of his time on speaking out against offshore wind.
Wondering where the candidates stand? Check out our 2024 Conversations with the Candidates
To help you better understand the distinctions among the candidates in this year’s Republican and Democratic primaries, NHPR is hosting interviews with the top candidates. You can find the transcript and audio from each conversation using the links below.
2nd Congressional District
The seat representing New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District is open for the first time in more than a decade. Democrat Annie Kuster is not running for re-election, meaning there’s an open primary on both sides of the ballot.
- Aug. 12: Colin Van Ostern (Democratic) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
- Aug. 13: Vikram Mansharamani (Republican) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
- Aug. 14: Bill Hamlen (Republican) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
- Aug. 15: Maggie Goodlander (Democratic) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
- Aug. 16: Lily Tang Williams (Republican) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
1st Congressional District
Democratic Congressman Chris Pappas is seeking a fourth term representing New Hampshire’s 1st District. The candidates in the Republican primary hope they can win back the district, which has historically been a swing seat.
- Aug. 19: Chris Pappas (Democratic incumbent) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
- Aug. 20: Russell Prescott (Republican) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
- Aug. 21: Joe Kelly Levasseur (Republican) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
- Aug. 22: Chris Bright (Republican) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
- Aug. 23: Hollie Noveletsky (Republican) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
Gubernatorial
New Hampshire voters will elect a new governor this November following Gov. Chris Sununu’s decision to not seek re-election. It’s a competitive race among both Democrats and Republicans as they seek their party nominations.
- Aug. 26: Jon Kiper (Democrat) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
- Aug. 27: Joyce Craig (Democrat) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
- Aug. 28: Chuck Morse (Republican) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
- Aug. 29: Cinde Warmington (Democrat) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
- Aug. 30: Kelly Ayotte (Republican) – NHPR Interview | Campaign website
For all interviews, click here.
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