State lawmakers from Hillsborough County have selected Brian Newcomb as the county's new sheriff, filling a vacancy left by Chris Connelly, who resigned to serve as the chief of staff for Gov. Kelly Ayotte.
Newcomb has served in the Hillsborough County sheriff's office for 24 years and has been acting as the agency’s chief executive officer since Connelly’s departure in January. During a brief speech before the vote Wednesday night, Newcomb stressed his experience in different roles, including court officer, deputy sheriff, undercover task force officer, sergeant, lieutenant and captain.
The other sheriff candidate, Manchester Alderman Bill Barry, also highlighted his 34 years of experience in law enforcement, including 26 years at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. He also emphasized his community service at nonprofit organizations and in city government.
Typically, county sheriffs are chosen by voters in that county. But in this case, the state lawmakers from Hillsborough County were responsible for filling the position. Even though the Democrats have a majority in the Hillsborough delegation, the vote was fairly close: Newcomb received 53% of the vote, and Barry received 47%.
Moving forward, Newcomb said he wants to focus on recruiting deputies, improving the office's technology and starting construction on a new space.
“I will continue to lead the department in a positive direction that focuses on professionalism and fair and impartial policing,” he said.
Some local immigration advocates were closely following the race, due to concerns about the county sheriff’s potential role in expanded federal immigration enforcement. Neither the sheriff candidates nor the state lawmakers in the room raised the issue during Wednesday’s election, however.
Recently, the New Hampshire State Police, the Belknap County Sheriff's Office, and the police departments in Gorham, Ossipee and Pittsburg applied to join a federal program that deputizes local officers to carry out immigration enforcement.
Those programs are known as 287(g) programs and would allow participating local officers to arrest and detain people suspected of being in the country illegally. This is particularly relevant in Hillsborough County, which has the state's two largest cities and the largest concentration of immigrant communities.
In a statement issued after the vote, Ayotte celebrated Newcomb’s victory and said she looked forward to working together.
“The support Sheriff Newcomb received from Hillsborough County delegation members on both sides of the aisle is a testament to his outstanding character and commitment to public safety,” she said.
Newcomb’s selection also drew praise from several sheriff’s deputies and former Hillsborough County Sheriff Jim Hardy.
Hardy, who served between 2003 and 2021, said Newcomb was the logical choice for the job. He said it represented a continuation of the work he and Connelly have done to improve the professionalism of the sheriff’s office.
“It's critically important that people be treated with dignity and respect,” he said. “And a dose of civility with a firm and diplomatic approach gets the job done.”
