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New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2018 (September 11 Democratic primary)

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Governor of New Hampshire
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Election details
Filing deadline: June 15, 2018
Primary: September 11, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent(s):
Chris Sununu (Republican)
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Poll times: Varies by municipality
Voting in New Hampshire
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New Hampshire
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A Democratic Party primary election took place on September 11, 2018 in New Hampshire to determine which candidate would run as the party's nominee in the state's November 6, 2018, gubernatorial election.

For more information about gubernatorial elections in 2018, click here.

SETTING THE STAGE
  • Heading into the 2018 election, the sitting governor was Chris Sununu (R), who was first elected in 2016. On October 4, 2017, Sununu announced that he would seek re-election in 2018.
  • In 2018, New Hampshire was a Republican trifecta. It had held this status since Sununu took office in January 2017. New Hampshire was under divided triplex control.
  • In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, the Democratic candidate has won New Hampshire in 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 while the Republican candidate won in 2000. The widest margin of victory was Barack Obama's 10 percent margin in 2008, while the narrowest was Hillary Clinton's 0.37 percent margin in 2016.

    • New Hampshire was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election. Click here for more information on other 2018 gubernatorial elections.


    Candidates and election results

    See also: Statistics on gubernatorial candidates, 2018

    Molly Kelly defeated Steve Marchand in the Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire on September 11, 2018.

    Democratic primary election

    Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    ✔
    Image of Molly Kelly
    		Molly Kelly
     
    66.0
     
    		80,599
    Image of Steve Marchand
    		Steve Marchand
     
    34.0
     
    		41,612

    There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

    		Total votes: 122,211
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

    Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

    Context of the 2018 election

    Past elections

    2016

    See also: New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2016

    In the 2016 Democratic primary, Colin Van Ostern defeated Steve Marchand, Mark Connolly, Ian Freeman, and Derek Dextraze by a 26.7 percent margin.[1]

    New Hampshire Democratic primary for governor, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes
    Green check mark transparent.png Colin Van Ostern 51.99% 37,694
    Steve Marchand 25.29% 18,338
    Mark Connolly 20.47% 14,839
    Ian Freeman 1.47% 1,069
    Derek Dextraze 0.77% 557
    Total Votes (300 of 300 precincts reporting) 72,497
    Source: AP

    Voter information

    How the primary works

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New Hampshire uses a semi-closed primary system. Unaffiliated voters may vote in the primary, but in order to do so, they have to choose a party before voting. This changes their status from unaffiliated to affiliated with that party unless they fill out a card to return to undeclared status.[2][3][4]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Poll times

    In New Hampshire, polling place hours of operation vary. According to state law, polling places must be open between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Localities may set their own polling hours as long as they are open during those hours prescribed by state law.[5] To search for the hours your polling place is open, click here.

    Registration requirements

    Check your voter registration status here.

    To register to vote in New Hampshire, each applicant must provide documentary proof of United States citizenship, be a resident of New Hampshire, and at least 18 years old by the next election. Individuals may register to vote at the local clerk's office, with the community's supervisors of the checklist or registrar of voters, or at the polling place on the day of the election. Applicants must fill out a voter registration form and either show proof of identity and citizenship or sign an affidavit witnessed by an election official.[6][7] Absentee registration is allowed for those who are “unable to register in person because of physical disability, religious beliefs, military service, or because of temporary absence.” Absentee registration requires mailing a voter registration form and witnessed absentee voter registration affidavit to the local clerk.[6]

    Automatic registration

    New Hampshire does not practice automatic voter registration.

    Online registration

    See also: Online voter registration

    New Hampshire does not permit online voter registration.

    Same-day registration

    New Hampshire allows same-day voter registration.

    Residency requirements

    In New Hampshire, citizens can register to vote the day they move to the state.[6]

    Verification of citizenship

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    New Hampshire requires voters to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote, as of June 2025. Gov. Chris Sununu (R) signed HB 1569 into law on September 17, 2024. The legislation required voter registration applicants to provide one of the following at the time of registration: "birth certificate, passport, naturalization papers if the applicant is a naturalized citizen, or any other reasonable documentation which indicates the applicant is a United States citizen."[8]

    All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[9] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

    Verifying your registration

    The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.

    Voter ID requirements

    New Hampshire requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[10]

    The following list of accepted ID was current as of June 2024. Click here for the New Hampshire Secretary of State page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

    “
    • Driver’s license issued by any state or federal government;
    • Non-driver ID card issued by NH DMV or motor vehicle agency of another state;
    • Photo ID card for “voting identification only” issued by NH DMV;
    • U.S. armed services identification card;
    • U.S. passport or passcard;
    • NH student ID card (Dated within the past 5 years. Must be from a school on the approval list provided to the Secretary of State each year by the Department of Education.);
    • Photo ID not mentioned above, but determined to be legitimate by the moderator, supervisors of the checklist,

    or clerk of a town, ward or city.[11]

    		”

    Additionally, a poll worker may verify the voter’s identity. If anyone authorized to challenge a voter objects to the poll worker’s verification, the voter would have to complete a challenged voter affidavit.[10]

    Voters without proper photo identification can complete a challenged voter affidavit. A poll worker will take a photo of the voter and attach it to the affidavit. The voter may then cast a regular ballot. If the voter objects to being photographed for religious reasons, he or she can complete an affidavit of religious exemption, which will be attached to the challenged voter affidavit.[10]

    Early voting

    New Hampshire does not permit early voting.

    Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting

    A voter is eligible to vote absentee in an election if he or she cannot make it to the polls on Election Day for one of the following reasons:[12]

    • The voter will be absent from his or her polling location on the day of the election.
    • The voter is unable to visit the polls because of the observance of a religious commitment.
    • The voter is unable to visit the polls because of a physical disability.
    • The voter is unable to visit the polls because of an employment obligation.
    • The voter is unable to visit the polls due to military service.

    There is no specific deadline to apply for an absentee ballot. The completed ballot must be returned either in person by 5:00 p.m. the day before the election or by mail. If returned by mail, the ballot must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Election Day.[12]


    State overview

    Partisan control

    This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in New Hampshire heading into the 2018 elections.

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    State legislature

    • Republicans controlled both chambers of the New Hampshire General Court. They had a 212-167 majority in the state House and a 14-10 majority in the state Senate.

    Trifecta status

    • New Hampshire was a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party controlled the office of the governor, the state House, and the state Senate.

    2018 elections

    See also: New Hampshire elections, 2018

    New Hampshire held elections for the following positions in 2018:

    Demographics

    Demographic data for New Hampshire
     New HampshireU.S.
    Total population:1,330,111316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):8,9533,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:93.7%73.6%
    Black/African American:1.3%12.6%
    Asian:2.4%5.1%
    Native American:0.2%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
    Two or more:1.8%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:3.2%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:92.3%86.7%
    College graduation rate:34.9%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$66,779$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:9.9%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New Hampshire.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    As of July 2016, New Hampshire's three largest cities were Manchester (pop. est. 111,196), Nashua (pop. est. 88,341), and Concord (pop. est. 43,019).[13][14]

    State election history

    This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in New Hampshire from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the New Hampshire State Board of Elections.

    Historical elections

    Presidential elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the presidential election in New Hampshire every year from 2000 to 2016.

    Election results (President of the United States), New Hampshire 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 47.6% Republican Party Donald Trump 47.2% 0.4%
    2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 52.0% Republican Party Mitt Romney 46.4% 5.6%
    2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 54.4% Republican Party John McCain 44.7% 9.7%
    2004 Democratic Party John Kerry 50.2% Republican Party George W. Bush 48.9% 1.3%
    2000 Republican Party George W. Bush 48.1% Democratic Party Al Gore 46.9% 1.2%

    U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in New Hampshire from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

    Election results (U.S. Senator), New Hampshire 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Democratic Party Maggie Hassan 48.0% Republican Party Kelly Ayotte 47.8% 0.2%
    2014 Democratic Party Jeanne Shaheen 51.5% Republican Party Scott Brown 48.2% 3.3%
    2010 Republican Party Kelly Ayotte 60.2% Democratic Party Paul Hodes 36.7% 23.5%
    2008 Democratic Party Jeanne Shaheen 51.6% Republican Party John E. Sununu 45.3% 6.3%
    2004 Republican Party Judd Gregg 66.2% Democratic Party Doris Haddock 33.7% 32.5%
    2002 Republican Party John E. Sununu 50.8% Democratic Party Jeanne Shaheen 46.4% 4.4%

    Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every two years in New Hampshire.

    Election results (Governor), New Hampshire 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party Chris Sununu 48.8% Democratic Party Colin Van Ostern 46.6% 2.2%
    2014 Democratic Party Maggie Hassan 52.5% Republican Party Walter Havenstein 47.3% 5.2%
    2012 Democratic Party Maggie Hassan 54.6% Republican Party Ovide Lamontagne 42.5% 12.1%
    2010 Democratic Party John Lynch 52.6% Republican Party John Stephen 45.1% 7.5%
    2008 Democratic Party John Lynch 70.1% Republican Party Joseph Kenney 27.6% 42.5%
    2006 Democratic Party John Lynch 74.0% Republican Party Jim Coburn 25.8% 48.2%
    2004 Democratic Party John Lynch 51.0% Republican Party Craig Benson 48.9% 2.1%
    2002 Republican Party Craig Benson 58.7% Democratic Party Mark Fernald 38.2% 20.5%
    2000 Democratic Party Jeanne Shaheen 48.8% Republican Party Gordon Humphrey 43.8% 5.0%

    Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent New Hampshire in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

    Congressional delegation, New Hampshire 2000-2016
    Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
    2016 Republican Party 0 0.0% Democratic Party 2 100.0% D+2
    2014 Republican Party 1 50.0% Democratic Party 1 50.0% Even
    2012 Republican Party 0 0.0% Democratic Party 2 100.0% D+2
    2010 Republican Party 2 100.0% Democratic Party 0 0.0% R+2
    2008 Republican Party 0 0.0% Democratic Party 2 100.0% D+2
    2006 Republican Party 0 0.0% Democratic Party 2 100.0% D+2
    2004 Republican Party 2 100.0% Democratic Party 0 0.0% R+2
    2002 Republican Party 2 100.0% Democratic Party 0 0.0% R+2
    2000 Republican Party 2 100.0% Democratic Party 0 0.0% R+2

    Trifectas, 1992-2017

    A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

    New Hampshire Party Control: 1992-2025
    Four years of Democratic trifectas  •  Fourteen years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
    Governor R R R R R D D D D D D R R D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R
    Senate R R R R R R R D S R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R D D R R R R R
    House R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D R R D D R R R R D D R R R R R


    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties by state

    Three of 10 New Hampshire counties—30 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

    Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
    County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
    Coos County, New Hampshire 8.89% 17.54% 18.19%
    Hillsborough County, New Hampshire 0.20% 1.12% 3.73%
    Sullivan County, New Hampshire 2.58% 13.27% 17.93%

    In the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton (D) won New Hampshire with 46.8 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 46.5 percent. In presidential elections between 1789 and 2016, New Hampshire voted Republican 50 percent of the time and Democratic 31 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, New Hampshire voted Democratic with the exception of the 2000 presidential election.[15]

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Senate districts in New Hampshire. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[16][17]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 12 out of 24 state Senate districts in New Hampshire with an average margin of victory of 17.3 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 10 out of 24 state Senate districts in New Hampshire with an average margin of victory of 14.5 points. Clinton won two districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
    In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 12 out of 24 state Senate districts in New Hampshire with an average margin of victory of 5.6 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 14 out of 24 state Senate districts in New Hampshire with an average margin of victory of 9.6 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in New Hampshire. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[18][19]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 145 out of 204 state House districts in New Hampshire with an average margin of victory of 17.8 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 101 out of 204 state House districts in New Hampshire with an average margin of victory of 17.1 points.
    In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 59 out of 204 state House districts in New Hampshire with an average margin of victory of 9.9 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 103 out of 204 state House districts in New Hampshire with an average margin of victory of 12.9 points.

    Recent news

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms New Hampshire governor Democratic primary 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2018 (September 11 Democratic primary) - Google News

    See also

    New Hampshire government:

    Elections:

    Ballotpedia exclusives:

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Associated Press, "New Hampshire - Summary Vote Results," September 14, 2016
    2. ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed April 25, 2023
    3. ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
    4. ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State,"Voting in Party Primaries," accessed April 25, 2023
    5. ↑ New Hampshire Revised Statutes - Title 63, Chapter 659.4," accessed April 25, 2023
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 New Hampshire Secretary of State, “How to Register to Vote,” accessed June 25, 2024
    7. ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, “Register to Vote,” accessed June 25, 2024
    8. ↑ General Court of New Hampshire, "CHAPTER 378 HB 1569-FN - FINAL VERSION," accessed November 14, 2024
    9. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 State of New Hampshire, "Voter ID Law Explanatory Document," accessed June 25, 2024
    11. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 New Hampshire Secretary of State, "Absentee Ballots," accessed April 25, 2023
    13. ↑ New Hampshire Demographics, "New Hampshire Cities by Population," accessed September 5, 2018
    14. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Quickfacts New Hampshire," accessed September 5, 2018
    15. ↑ 270towin.com, "New Hampshire," accessed June 1, 2017
    16. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
    17. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
    18. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
    19. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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