2024 New Hampshire Executive Council election

2024 New Hampshire Executive Council elections

November 5, 2024
All 5 seats on the Executive Council of New Hampshire
Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Last election 4 seats 1 seats Seats before 4 1 Seats won 4 1 Seat change Popular vote 405,473 371,739 Percentage 52.17% 47.83% Swing 2.29% 2.29%
Results by gains and holds Results by winning party vote share Results:      Democratic hold      Republican hold Vote share:      50–60%      50–60%

The 2024 New Hampshire Executive Council elections took place on November 5, 2024, to elect all five members of the Executive Council of New Hampshire. Party primaries were held on September 10.^[1] Republicans have held a majority on the executive council since 2021.

District 1

After redistricting, the 1st district includes six of New Hampshire's thirteen charter cities: Berlin, Dover, Franklin, Laconia, Rochester, and Somersworth. Towns in the district include Alton, Belmont, Conway, Durham, Farmington, Gilford, Meredith, Wakefield, and Wolfeboro. The incumbent is Republican Joseph Kenney, who was re-elected with 51.7% of the vote in 2022.

Republican primary

Declared

• Joseph Kenney, incumbent executive councilor^[2]

Results

Republican primary results^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joseph Kenney (incumbent)	23,807	99.34%
	Democratic	Emmett Soldati (write-in)	54	0.23%
	Write-in		104	0.43%
Total votes			23,965	100%

Democratic primary

Declared

• Emmett Soldati, cafe owner and candidate for the 2nd district in 2020^[2]

Results

Democratic primary results^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Emmett Soldati	21,036	99.47%
	Republican	Joseph Kenney (incumbent, write-in)	49	0.23%
	Write-in		64	0.30%
Total votes			21,149	100%

General election

Endorsements

Emmett Soldati (D)

Organizations

• Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund^[5]

Results

2024 New Hampshire's 1st Executive Council district election^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Joseph Kenney (incumbent)	87,132	55.20%
	Democratic	Emmett Soldati	70,647	44.76%
	Write-in		71	0.04%
Total votes			157,850	100%

District 2

After redistricting, the 2nd district includes four of New Hampshire's thirteen charter cities: Claremont, Concord, Keene, and Lebanon. Towns in the district include Bow, Charlestown, Hanover, Henniker, Hopkinton, Littleton, Newport, Peterborough, and Plymouth. The incumbent was Democrat Cinde Warmington, who was re-elected with 60.0% of the vote in 2022. Warmington did not seek re-election, instead choosing to run for governor.^[7]

Democratic primary

Nominee

• Karen Liot Hill, Grafton County Treasurer^[8]

Eliminated in primary

• Mike Liberty, New Hampshire Democratic Party finance chair^[9]

Declined

• Cinde Warmington, incumbent executive councilor (ran for governor)^[7]

Results

Democratic primary results^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Karen Liot Hill	18,282	55.26%
	Democratic	Mike Liberty	14,750	44.59%
	Republican	Kim Strathdee (write-in)	3	0.01%
	Republican	Mary Rose Deak (write-in)	3	0.01%
	Write-in		44	0.13%
Total votes			33,082	100%

Republican primary

Nominee

• Kim Strathdee, cook, antiques seller, farmer, carpenter, mechanic, and perennial candidate^[9]

Eliminated in primary

• Mary Rose Deak, laboratory scientist^[2]

Declined

• Harold French, former state senator and nominee for this district in 2022^[9]

Results

Republican primary results^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Kim Strathdee	9,279	55.74%
	Republican	Mary Rose Deak	7,065	42.44%
	Democratic	Mike Liberty (write-in)	57	0.34%
	Democratic	Karen Liot Hill (write-in)	41	0.25%
	Write-in		206	1.23%
Total votes			16,648	100%

General election

Endorsements

Karen Liot Hill (D)

Organizations

• Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund^[5]

Results

2024 New Hampshire's 2nd Executive Council district election^[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Karen Liot Hill	87,633	56.92%
	Republican	Kim Strathdee	66,150	42.96%
	Write-in		180	0.12%
Total votes			153,963	100%

District 3

The 3rd district includes one of New Hampshire's thirteen charter cities, Portsmouth. Towns in the district include Atkinson, Chester, Epping, Exeter, Hampstead, Hampton, Kingston, Newmarket, Pelham, Plaistow, Raymond, Rye, Salem, Sandown, Seabrook, Stratham, and Windham. The incumbent was Republican Janet Stevens, who was re-elected with 53.2% of the vote in 2022.

Republican primary

Declared

• Janet Stevens, incumbent executive councilor^[11]

Results

Republican primary results^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Janet Stevens (incumbent)	25,300	99.01%
	Democratic	Jon Morgan (write-in)	23	0.09%
	Write-in		229	0.90%
Total votes			25,552	100%

Democratic primary

Declared

• Jon Morgan, Brentwood selectman and former state senator^[11]

Results

Democratic primary results^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jon Morgan	20,313	99.66%
	Republican	Janet Stevens (incumbent, write-in)	12	0.06%
	Write-in		58	0.28%
Total votes			20,383	100%

General election

Endorsements

Jon Morgan (D)

Organizations

• Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund^[5]

Results

2024 New Hampshire's 3rd Executive Council district election^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Janet Stevens (incumbent)	92,634	55.05%
	Democratic	Jon Morgan	75,524	44.88%
	Write-in		116	0.07%
Total votes			168,274	100%

District 4

The 4th district includes one of New Hampshire's thirteen charter cities, Manchester. Towns in the district include Auburn, Barrington, Bedford, Goffstown, Hooksett, Londonderry, Loudon, Nottingham, and Pembroke. The incumbent is Republican Ted Gatsas, who was re-elected with 52.3% of the vote in 2022.

Republican primary

Declared

• Terese Bastarache, nurse and candidate for this district in 2022^[13]
• Robert Burns, former Hillsborough County Treasurer and nominee for New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district in 2022^[14]
• John Reagan, former state senator^[15]
• John Stephen, former commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services and nominee for governor in 2010^[15]
• Ryan Terrell, former member of the New Hampshire Board of Education^[13]
• Ross Terrio, Manchester alder and former state representative^[15]

Declined

• Sharon Carson, majority leader of the New Hampshire Senate^[14]
• Ted Gatsas, incumbent executive councilor^[16]
• B.J. Perry, former New Hampshire field director for the Republican National Committee^[14]

Results

Republican primary results^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Stephen	9,312	36.85%
	Republican	Robert Burns	5,748	22.75%
	Republican	Terese Bastarache	4,167	16.49%
	Republican	John Reagan	3,758	14.87%
	Republican	Ross Terrio	1,295	5.12%
	Republican	Ryan Terrell	908	3.59%
	Democratic	Jim O'Connell (write-in)	33	0.13%
	Write-in		51	0.20%
Total votes			25,272	100%

Democratic primary

Declared

• Jim O'Connell, at-large Manchester school board member^[13]

Withdrawn

• Michael Strand, Bedford town councilor (endorsed O'Connell)^[17]

Results

Democratic primary results^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jim O'Connell	19,431	99.32%
	Republican	John Stephen (write-in)	22	0.11%
	Republican	Terese Bastarache (write-in)	9	0.05%
	Republican	Robert Burns (write-in)	7	0.04%
	Republican	John Reagan (write-in)	6	0.03%
	Republican	Ryan Terrell (write-in)	4	0.02%
	Republican	Ross Terrio (write-in)	1	0.00%
	Write-in		84	0.43%
Total votes			19,564	100%

General election

Endorsements

Jim O'Connell (D)

Organizations

• Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund^[5]

Results

2024 New Hampshire's 4th Executive Council district election^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Stephen	77,903	53.78%
	Democratic	Jim O'Connell	66,842	46.14%
	Write-in		111	0.08%
Total votes			144,856	100%

District 5

The 5th district includes one of New Hampshire's thirteen charter cities, Nashua. Towns in the district include Amherst, Brookline, Hillsborough, Hollis, Hudson, Jaffrey, Litchfield, Merrimack, Milford, New Boston, New Ipswich, Rindge, Swanzey, and Weare. The incumbent is Republican Dave Wheeler, who was re-elected with 52.3% of the vote in 2022.

Republican primary

Declared

• Dave Wheeler, incumbent executive councilor^[2]

Results

Republican primary results^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Dave Wheeler (incumbent)	23,068	99.30%
	Democratic	Melanie Levesque (write-in)	24	0.10%
	Democratic	Shoshanna Kelly (write-in)	16	0.07%
	Write-in		123	0.53%
Total votes			23,231	100%

Democratic primary

Nominee

• Melanie Levesque, former state senator from the 12th district (2018–2020)^[13]

Eliminated in primary

• Shoshanna Kelly, at-large Nashua alder and nominee for this district in 2022^[19]

Results

Democratic primary results^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Melanie Levesque	12,709	62.30%
	Democratic	Shoshanna Kelly	7,641	37.46%
	Republican	Dave Wheeler (incumbent, write-in)	21	0.10%
	Write-in		29	0.14%
Total votes			20,400	100%

General election

Endorsements

Melanie Levesque (D)

Organizations

• Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund^[5]

Results

2024 New Hampshire's 5th Executive Council district election^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Dave Wheeler (incumbent)	81,654	53.44%
	Democratic	Melanie Levesque	71,093	46.52%
	Write-in		63	0.04%
Total votes			152,810	100%

See also

• 2024 New Hampshire elections
• 2024 New Hampshire gubernatorial election
• 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire

References

1. "2024 State Primary Election Dates". National Conference of State Legislatures. July 10, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
2. "2024 Election Details". New Hampshire Secretary of State. June 5, 2024.
3. "2024 Republican State Primary". New Hampshire Secretary of State. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
4. "2024 Democratic State Primary". New Hampshire Secretary of State. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
5. "Planned Parenthood NH Action Fund PAC Endorses Governor and Executive Council Candidates Who Will Protect and Expand Access to Reproductive Health Care". Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund. September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
6. "2024 General Election Results". New Hampshire Secretary of State. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
7. Sexton, Adam (June 1, 2023). "NH Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington launches campaign for governor". WMUR. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
8. Haber, Taylor (August 11, 2023). "Karen Liot Hill '00 to seek 2024 Democratic nomination for second Executive Council district". The Dartmouth. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
9. Porter, Steven (October 25, 2023). "Contest emerges in N.H. for 'most important office you've never heard of'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
10. "2024 General Election Results". New Hampshire Secretary of State. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
11. Cullen, Margie (May 11, 2024). "Jon Morgan to challenge for Janet Stevens' NH Executive Council seat". The Portsmouth Herald. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
12. "2024 General Election Results". New Hampshire Secretary of State. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
13. Landrigan, Kevin (April 3, 2023). "Gatsas to call it a career after 24 years". New Hampshire Union Leader. Archived from the original on April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
14. Graham, Michael (April 3, 2024). "Gatsas Out, Burns In: Executive Council News Shakes NH Politics". NH Journal. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
15. Graham, Michael (April 17, 2024). "John Stephen Joins Crowded Field in Executive Council 4 GOP Primary". NH Journal. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
16. Tracy, Paula (April 3, 2023). "Manchester Republican Ted Gatsas Plans To Retire from Executive Council District 4". InDepthNH. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
17. Gokee, Amanda; Porter, Steven (June 5, 2024). "Candidates in closely watched New Hampshire races begin filing for ballot". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 5, 2024. That was the case for Michael Strand, a Democrat who suspended his campaign Tuesday for Executive Council and threw his support behind Jim O'Connell.
18. "2024 General Election Results". New Hampshire Secretary of State. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
19. "Alderwoman Kelly launches Executive Council campaign". The Telegraph. January 30, 2024. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
20. "2024 General Election Results". New Hampshire Secretary of State. Retrieved January 30, 2025.