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Final results: Summary results | Town resultsThe BasicsThe New Hampshire primary is a mainstay in American electoral politics. Every four years, voters gather to help determine the Republican and/or Democratic nominee for President. While the state only has 12 electoral votes in 2012 (normally it’s 24, but the Republican National Committee penalized the state party for moving up the event date), the primary’s position as one of the earliest contests gives the state out-sized influence over the nomination process.Only the Iowa caucuses come before New Hampshire’s primary. Traditionally, New Hampshire’s broad-based primary contest has been seen as a counter-weight to Iowa’s more drawn-out caucus process, which tends to draw a smaller core of party faithful. In the case of the 2012 Republican race, New Hampshire’s electorate is seen to represent the more libertarian-leaning, fiscally conservative wing of the party, while Iowa voters are seen as representing the socially conservative wing of the GOP base.N.H. Primary summary provided by StateImpact - NH reporter, Amanda Loder

Van Ostern and Burns Win Executive Council Primaries

Colin Van Ostern won the Democratic nomination for the District 2 chair on the Executive Council.  The district includes the Concord area, and stretches from Vermont to the coast.
 
He beat opponent John Shea, who held a seat on the Council from 2006 to 2010.

Van Ostern says the Council’s decision last June to cut funding to Planned Parenthood spurred him to run.  But he made his campaign about the economy.

“I’m really grateful for the vote today. I think that it confirms that our campaign, which has been about jobs and economic development and ending the partisan ideology in Concord, is right on track and that’s the message I’m going to keep going forward with all the way to November.”

Van Ostern faces Republican Michael Tierney in the general election.

Farther south in the Executive Council’s 4th District, Bob Burns won the Republican primary slot with just 99 votes. The district was left wide open after former Manchester mayor Ray Wiekzorek said he would not seek re-election.  Burns will now face Democrat Chris Pappas in the general election.

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