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New Hampshire state legislative Republican primaries, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 23
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Varies by locality
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: In general, polling places open between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time
2018 New Hampshire State Legislature elections | |
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General | November 6, 2018 |
Primary | September 11, 2018 |
2018 elections | |
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Choose a chamber below: | |
The Republican primary elections for the seats in the New Hampshire State Senate and New Hampshire House of Representatives were on September 11, 2018. For information about the Democratic primary elections in New Hampshire, click here.
The general election was on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was June 15, 2018. In the state Senate, all 24 seats were up for election. In the state House, all 400 seats were up for election.
Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
Retiring incumbents
Sixty-six state House Republicans did not seek re-election in 2018.
- Valerie Fraser (Belknap 1)
- Marc Abear (Belknap 3)
- Norman Silber (Belknap 3)
- Herb Vadney (Belknap 3)
- Michael F. Maloney (Belknap 5)[1]
- Stephen Schmidt (Carroll 6)
- Bing Judd (Coos 1)
- Herbert Richardson (Coos 4)
- Skylar Boutin (Grafton 2)
- Robert Hull (Grafton 9)
- Brad Bailey (Grafton 14)
- David W. Binford (Grafton 15)
- Duane Brown (Grafton 16)
- Neal Kurk (Hillsborough 2)
- Rick Christie (Hillsborough 6)
- Claire Rouillard (Hillsborough 6)
- Nick Zaricki (Hillsborough 6)
- Terry Wolf (Hillsborough 7)
- Keith Murphy (Hillsborough 7)
- Frank Byron (Hillsborough 20)
- Josh Moore (Hillsborough 21)
- Tony Pellegrino (Hillsborough 21)
- Chris Christensen (Hillsborough 21)
- Dan Hynes (Hillsborough 21)
- Barbara Biggie (Hillsborough 23)
- Craig Moore (Hillsborough 25)
- John J. Carr (Hillsborough 26)
- Steve Negron (Hillsborough 32)
- Donald LeBrun (Hillsborough 32)
- David Murotake (Hillsborough 32)
- Timothy Twombly (Hillsborough 34)
- Steve Hellwig (Hillsborough 37)
- Shawn Jasper (Hillsborough 37)[2]
- Eric Schleien (Hillsborough 37)
- Gregory Smith (Hillsborough 37)
- Kathleen Souza (Hillsborough 43)
- Anne Copp (Merrimack 1)
- Ryan Smith (Merrimack 3)
- J.R. Hoell (Merrimack 23)
- Bill Kuch (Merrimack 23)
- Jim Nasser (Rockingham 2)
- Carolyn L. Matthews (Rockingham 3)
- Joseph Hagan (Rockingham 4)
- Bob Rimol (Rockingham 5)
- Martin N. Bove (Rockingham 5)
- Robert Fesh (Rockingham 6)
- David Bates (Rockingham 7)
- Ronald Belanger (Rockingham 8)[3]
- Gary Azarian (Rockingham 8)[4]
- Fred Doucette (Rockingham 8)[5]
- Daniel Itse (Rockingham 10)
- William Friel (Rockingham 14)
- Mary Allen (Rockingham 15)
- Robert Nigrello (Rockingham 16)
- Francis Chase (Rockingham 20)
- Jason Janvrin (Rockingham 20)
- Pamela S. Gordon (Rockingham 29)
- Yvonne M. Dean-Bailey (Rockingham 32)
- Scott Wallace (Rockingham 33)
- Richard Gordon (Rockingham 35)
- John Mullen (Strafford 1)
- Robert Graham (Strafford 1)
- Len Turcotte (Strafford 4)
- Matthew Scruton (Strafford 12)
- Brandon Phinney (Strafford 24)[6]
- James Grenier (Sullivan 7)
One state Senate Republican did not seek re-election in 2018.
- Andy Sanborn (District 9)
Incumbents defeated
Ten state House Republicans were defeated in the primaries.
- Vicki Schwaegler (Grafton 3)
- Daniel Donovan (Hillsborough 2)
- David Pierce (Hillsborough 6)
- Carolyn Gargasz (Hillsborough 27)
- Michael Brewster (Merrimack 21)
- John Leavitt (Merrimack 24)
- Patricia Dowling (Rockingham 6)
- Richard Tripp (Rockingham 6)
- Brenda Willis (Rockingham 6)
- John Manning Jr. (Rockingham 8)
Competitiveness
Year | Total seats | Open seats | Total candidates | Democratic primaries contested | Republican primaries contested | Total contested | Incumbents contested in primaries | Total incumbents contested in primaries |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 424 | 105 | 866 | 34 | 36 | 15.4% | 86 | 27.0% |
2016 | 424 | 117 | 865 | 25 | 52 | 16.9% | 125 | 40.7% |
2014 | 424 | 122 | 878 | 20 | 57 | 16.9% | 98 | 32.5% |
Partisan control
The tables below show the partisan breakdowns of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and the New Hampshire State Senate as of September 2018:
New Hampshire House of Representatives
Party | As of September 2018 | |
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Democratic Party | 173 | |
Republican Party | 216 | |
Libertarian Party | 2 | |
Vacancies | 9 | |
Total | 400 |
New Hampshire State Senate
Party | As of September 2018 | |
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Democratic Party | 10 | |
Republican Party | 14 | |
Vacancies | 0 | |
Total | 24 |
Battleground races
Ballotpedia identified battleground races in the 2018 New Hampshire state legislative Republican primary elections. These primaries had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could have led to changes in the membership of the Republican caucus or had an impact on general election races.
To determine the New Hampshire state legislative Republican primary battleground races in 2018, Ballotpedia examined races that fit one or more of the three factors listed below:
- Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
- One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
- The primary was known to be competitive based on past results or because it was a rematch of a primary that was competitive in the past.
Media coverage
This section provides an overview of media reactions to the New Hampshire state legislative Republican primaries.[7] Selected articles are presented as a jumping-off point for deeper exploration of media coverage and as an overview of narratives that have emerged surrounding the elections.
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.[8][9][10]
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.[11] 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.[12][13] 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.[12]
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.[12]
Verification of citizenship
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."[14]
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.[15] 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.[16]
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.
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or clerk of a town, ward or city.[17] |
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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.[16]
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.[16]
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:[18]
- 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.[18]
See also
- New Hampshire state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
- New Hampshire House of Representatives elections, 2018
- New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2018
- New Hampshire State Legislature
- New Hampshire elections, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ Maloney resigned his seat on October 13, 2017.
- ↑ Jasper resigned on December 1, 2017.
- ↑ Belanger died in July 2017.
- ↑ Azarian resigned in February 2018.
- ↑ Doucette resigned in November 2017.
- ↑ Phinney switched from the Republican Party to the Libertarian Party in 2017.
- ↑ In selecting articles for inclusion in this section, Ballotpedia has drawn from a variety of sources and viewpoints to identify articles that are representative of broader trends in media coverage.
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed April 25, 2023
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State,"Voting in Party Primaries," accessed April 25, 2023
- ↑ New Hampshire Revised Statutes - Title 63, Chapter 659.4," accessed April 25, 2023
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 New Hampshire Secretary of State, “How to Register to Vote,” accessed June 25, 2024
- ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, “Register to Vote,” accessed June 25, 2024
- ↑ General Court of New Hampshire, "CHAPTER 378 HB 1569-FN - FINAL VERSION," accessed November 14, 2024
- ↑ 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."
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 State of New Hampshire, "Voter ID Law Explanatory Document," accessed June 25, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 New Hampshire Secretary of State, "Absentee Ballots," accessed April 25, 2023