This story was originally produced by the New Hampshire Bulletin, an independent local newsroom that allows NHPR and other news outlets to republish its reporting.
Former state senator Erin Hennessey was sworn in as New Hampshire’s deputy secretary of state Tuesday, hours after resigning her position in the Senate in the morning.
“I thought long and hard about the choice,” Secretary of State Dave Scanlan said in an interview Tuesday. “And she’s just an excellent candidate.”
The move places the Littleton Republican into a key role helping oversee the state’s elections, registration of corporations, vital records management, financial securities regulation, and state archives.
First elected to serve in the Senate in 2020, Hennessey had also served three terms as a House representative and been a member of the House Finance Committee. Her appointment comes five months after then-Deputy Secretary of State Scanlan moved into the secretary of state role with the retirement of Bill Gardner.
In an interview shortly after the announcement, Scanlan said he had chosen Hennessey due to her background as a lawmaker and as a certified public accountant.
“That’s going to be very helpful in helping make sure that our financial condition is in order,” he said.
Hennessey was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.
Scanlan moved into the secretary of state position by default when Gardner retired. He will face an election vote by the next elected Legislature this December.
Hennessey’s move opens the race for Senate District 1, which has flipped between Republican and Democratic control in recent election cycles.
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