All five seats on New Hampshire’s Executive Council are on the ballot in Tuesday’s general election, with rematches in Districts 4 and 5 and contests across the state’s five districts.
The council’s five members vote on major state contracts and judicial nominations. The election guide identifies candidates by district, along with their communities, professional backgrounds and previous experience in elected office.
The candidates by district
In District 1, Democrat Luz Bay of Dover is running against Republican Joseph Kenney of Wakefield. Bay is a two-term state representative with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. Kenney is a former town selectman and has served four terms in the state House, three terms in the state Senate and six terms on the Executive Council.
District 2 features Democratic Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill of Lebanon and Republican Tobin Menard of Newport. Liot Hill has served on the Lebanon City Council, was the city’s mayor from 2008 to 2009 and was Grafton County treasurer from 2018 to 2024. She has been an executive councilor since 2025.
In District 3, Democrat Lisa Kennedy Sheldon of Portsmouth is challenging Republican Executive Councilor Janet Stevens of Rye. Kennedy Sheldon has not previously held elected office, while Stevens has served as an executive councilor since 2021.
District 4 is a rematch between Democratic candidate Jim O’Connell and Republican Executive Councilor John Stephen, both of Manchester. O’Connell has served on the Manchester Board of School Committee since 2020. Stephen has been an executive councilor since 2024 and also served on the Manchester Charter Commission.
The guide lists Republican Dave Wheeler of Milford in District 5. That district is also identified as one of the two rematch contests in this year’s council election.
What voters are deciding
The Executive Council operates separately from the General Court and the governor’s office. Its members participate in decisions involving state contracts and nominations to the state’s courts. The council seats are elected by district, with each district covering multiple communities.
- District 1: Luz Bay and Joseph Kenney
- District 2: Karen Liot Hill and Tobin Menard
- District 3: Lisa Kennedy Sheldon and Janet Stevens
- District 4: Jim O’Connell and John Stephen
- District 5: Dave Wheeler is listed as a candidate
Voters will choose councilors along with candidates for other state and federal offices on Nov. 3. The five winners will serve on the body responsible for the council’s role in contracts and judicial nominations during the next term.
