2018 Elections

The Exchange will explore in-depth the candidates and issues that impact voters this fall. 2nd Congressional District Candidates Steve Negron (R) and incumbent Annie Kuster (D) will sit down with a live audience at NHPR's studios to talk with Laura Knoy and NHPR's Investigative and Data Reporter Casey McDermott on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 9 a.m. Register for this forum, and our forum with the candidates in the Gubernatorial race here. Find more information about these forums here. 

This show will broadcast live at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, October 16th, and again at 7 p.m.

Democratic Congresswoman Annie Kuster and Republican challenger Steve Negron faced off Thursday at an AARP-sponsored event in Concord.

The two candidates for the state’s 2nd Congressional District debated issues including Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare.

Kuster said she would fight for such programs and she criticized Republican policies she says are putting them at risk.

“I have to say, the only threat to Medicare and Social Security is the tax break for millionaires and billionaires that added $1.5 trillion to the debt.”

New Hampshire’s Sierra Club endorsed more than 100 candidates for state offices Tuesday.

The Sierra Club is endorsing dozens of State House candidates, but only three candidates for state Senate. Only one incumbent senator made the list - Sen. Jay Kahn of Keene. That's partly because a vast majority of sitting senators threw their support earlier this year behind the new Liberty Utilities gas pipeline proposal called Granite Bridge.

The candidates for New Hampshire's First Congressional seat campaigned in opposite sides of the district Thursday night.

In Manchester, Democrat Chris Pappas talked about economic opportunity. And in Dover, Republican Eddie Edwards discussed solutions to treating substance misuse and addiction.

Pappas made his campaign stop at a carpenter training facility to discuss his proposals for improving opportunity for middle class workers.

Governor Chris Sununu says he can't judge Brett Kavanaugh's judicial temperament based on Kavanaugh's testimony before the U.S. Senate. 

Sununu signed a letter supporting Kavanaugh's nomination shortly after it was announced. Molly Kelly, his Democratic challenger, was deadset against Kavanaugh from the start. During a visit to a Concord health Clinic, Kelly said that adding Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court puts abortion rights at risk, and Sununu knows it.

The Exchange will explore in-depth the candidates and issues that impact voters this fall. 1st Congressional District Candidates Eddie Edwards (R) and Chris Pappas (D) will sit down with a live audience at NHPR's studios to talk with Laura Knoy and State of Democracy Reporter Lauren Chooljian on Wednesday, October 10, 2018 at 9 a.m. Register for this forum, and our forum with the candidates in the Congressional District 2 and the Gubernatorial races here. Find more information about these forums here. 

Former President Barack Obama is endorsing 25 fellow Democrats in New Hampshire.

Obama on Monday tweeted a list of candidates he supports around the country. Among the 180 candidates from 20 states were 25 from New Hampshire — including gubernatorial candidate Molly Kelly, U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster and congressional hopeful Chris Pappas.

Nine state senate candidates also made the list, along with 13 candidates for the House.

Raise Up New Hampshire is starting a new initiative to advocate for increased wages, benefits and paid family leave.

The group plans to kick off their Raise the Wage! campaign Monday afternoon at the State House.

There, community members will share their experiences earning a minimum wage in the state.

Rev. John Gregory-Davis is one of the campaign's leaders. He says this is an issue candidates need to pay attention to in this election.

Congresswoman Annie Kuster will face state Representative Steve Negron this November in the race for New Hampshire's second Congressional district. Kuster spoke to a crowd of about 20 at Concord Photo Service Wednesday about her priorities for the general election.

Kuster focused on what she called her efforts to reach across the aisle on issues like veteran healthcare, the opioid crisis and supporting small businesses.

It's a tone she wants to carry into the general election.

After a strong primary win last night, Democrat Molly Kelly launched the next stage of her bid for Governor at the Red Arrow Diner, a famous political pit stop in downtown Manchester.

Former state senate Molly Kelly cruised to victory over Steve Marchand Tuesday in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. It was a big win for her, and for the party establishment who threw their support to Kelly from the moment she became a candidate.

Kelly’s margin of victory– she beat Steve Marchand by about 2 to 1 and carried all but a few small towns – was large. And as Kelly addressed supporters in Keene, she said her win should serve as a notice to Chris Sununu.

“Let me send a message to Chris Sununu: Do not underestimate me. I’ve been underestimated before.”

The bitter rivalry between Republican congressional candidates Eddie Edwards and Andy Sanborn ended on Tuesday night when Sanborn called his loss before the final, official results were in.

He told a crowd of supporters in Bedford that with precinct numbers from the Seacoast and conservative strongholds near Manchester, he couldn’t see a path for closing the gap with Edwards.  

Primary Day can simply be the day when voters choose who will represent their parties during the general elections.

But primaries can also shape - or reshape - a party, and sometimes in lasting ways. This year could be one of those times for the New Hampshire Democratic Party.

Joining All Things Considered host Peter Biello to talk about these particular primary politics is Josh Rogers.

Note: This transcript has been edited for clarity

In the final day of a bitter fight for the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District, frontrunners Andy Sanborn and Eddie Edwards say tomorrow's primary comes down to character and conservatism.

Over the weekend, state Sen. Andy Sanborn was endorsed by the NRA and from two fellow state senators Bill Gannon and Bob Giuda.

The endorsements touted Sanborn's voting record while in the Legislature.

The race for New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District has attracted about $1.2 million in outside spending so far, with most of it going to Democrats Maura Sullivan and Chris Pappas.

With Primary Day upon us and new state voting rules on the books, here's a primer on what you need to know before heading out to the polls Tuesday.

What's this election all about?

Tomorrow's election is a primary, in which voters will choose nominees of their respective parties - Republican, Democrat, or Libertarian - to run for office in the general election, which takes place in November.