Control of the New Hampshire Senate is at stake in a group of closely contested Southern New Hampshire districts, with all 24 Senate seats and every House seat on the ballot in the Nov. 3 general election.
Democrats are seeking to gain five Senate seats, which would give them control of the chamber. Republicans hold a 16-8 majority, a margin that also gives them enough votes to override gubernatorial vetoes. Democratic leaders have identified five districts in the southern part of the state as their main opportunities to defeat Republican incumbents.
The Southern New Hampshire contests
The targeted districts include portions of Manchester and Nashua as well as Amherst, Bedford, Hollis, Hooksett, Merrimack and Milford. The candidates listed in those contests are:
- District 9: Matt McLaughlin, D-Bedford, against state Sen. Denise Ricciardi, R-Bedford.
- District 11: Former state Sen. Shannon Chadley, D-Amherst, against state Sen. Tim McGough, R-Merrimack.
- District 12: Carryl Roy, D-Hollis, against state Sen. Kevin Avard, R-Nashua.
- District 16: Dian McCarthy, D-Goffstown, against state Sen. Keith Murphy, R-Manchester.
- District 18: Leonard Bell, D-Manchester, against state Sen. Victoria Sullivan, R-Manchester.
Democratic Senate Leader Rebecca Perkins Kwoka of Portsmouth also pointed to District 3 as a potential pickup. Bobbi Boudman, D-Wolfeboro, is running against incumbent state Sen. Mark McConkey, R-Freedom, after Democrats won a special election in March.
“Voters need folks in Concord who will address the problems they’re facing in their daily lives,” Rebecca Perkins Kwoka said. “Government can be a quiet part of the solution you don’t notice every day, and we’re presenting candidates who will get to work on common sense solutions.”
Kwoka said a Democratic Senate majority would pursue the party’s “more money in your pocket” agenda. The priorities she identified include more affordable housing, health care, child care and energy, along with lower property taxes.
The election will determine whether Republicans retain their current Senate majority or Democrats take control of the chamber. The contests are part of a broader fight for control of both legislative chambers, with every seat in the 400-member House of Representatives also up for election on Nov. 3.
