New Hampshire state legislative Republican primaries, 2018

Elections in New Hampshire, 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

* * *

On the ballot: U.S. House • Governor • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Special state legislative • State ballot measures • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2018 New Hampshire
State Legislature elections

General| November 6, 2018
Primary| September 11, 2018
2018 elections

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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.

HIGHLIGHTS

* As of November 2017, New Hampshire was one of 26 Republican trifectas. A state government trifecta is a term used to describe a single-party government where one political party holds the governor's office and a majority in both chambers of the state legislature. To find out more about state government trifectas, click here.

## Contents

* 1 Incumbents who did not advance to the general election
* 1.1 Retiring incumbents
* 1.2 Incumbents defeated
* 2 Competitiveness
* 3 Partisan control
* 3.1 New Hampshire House of Representatives
* 3.2 New Hampshire State Senate
* 4 Battleground races
* 5 Media coverage
* 6 Voter information
* 6.1 How the primary works
* 6.2 Poll times
* 6.3 Registration requirements
* 6.4 Automatic registration
* 6.5 Online registration
* 6.6 Same-day registration
* 6.7 Residency requirements
* 6.8 Verification of citizenship
* 6.9 Verifying your registration
* 6.10 Voter ID requirements
* 6.11 Early voting
* 6.12 Absentee voting
* 7 See also
* 8 Footnotes

## Incumbents who did not advance to the general election[edit]

### Retiring incumbents[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

See also: 2018 primary election competitiveness in state and federal government and New Hampshire state legislative Democratic primaries, 2018
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[edit]

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[edit]

Party  | As of September 2018

|

| Democratic Party | 173
| Republican Party | 216
| Libertarian Party | 2
| Vacancies  | 9
Total |  400

### New Hampshire State Senate[edit]

Party  | As of September 2018

|

| Democratic Party | 10
| Republican Party | 14
| Vacancies  | 0
Total |  24

## Battleground races[edit]

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:

1. Identified by the media as a notable primary election.
2. One or more of the candidates received a notable endorsement.
3. 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[edit]

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[edit]

### How the primary works[edit]

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]

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

### Poll times[edit]

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.[10] Anyone in line when the polls close must be allowed to vote.[11] To search for the hours your polling place is open, click here.

### Registration requirements[edit]

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 be 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.[12][13] Absentee registration is allowed for those who meet the following criteria:

“  |

You may register to vote by absentee (by mail) if one of the following is true:

* You will be absent from the town or city on the dates/times when the Supervisors of the Checklist meet to receive voter registration applications;
* Absence includes an employment obligation that prevents you from attending a session of the supervisors. The term “employment” includes the care of children and infirm adults, with or without compensation.
* You are unable to register in person due to a physical disability; or
* You are confined to a penal institution for a misdemeanor or while awaiting trial but otherwise qualified.[14]

| ”

|
|

Absentee registration requires mailing a voter registration form and a witnessed absentee voter registration affidavit to the local clerk. Absentee registrants must still provide proof of citizenship and age unless they were previously or currently registered to vote.[12][15]

### Automatic registration[edit]

See also: Automatic voter registration

New Hampshire does not practice automatic voter registration.[16]

### Online registration[edit]

See also: Online voter registration

New Hampshire does not permit online voter registration.

### Same-day registration[edit]

See also: Same-day voter registration

New Hampshire allows same-day voter registration.[12]

### Residency requirements[edit]

In New Hampshire, citizens can register to vote the day they move to the state.[12]

### Verification of citizenship[edit]

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

New Hampshire requires voters to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. 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."[17]

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.[18] 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. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. 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[edit]

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

### Voter ID requirements[edit]

New Hampshire requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[19]

The following list of accepted ID was current as of December 2025. 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;
* United States armed services identification card;
* United States 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.)[14]

| ”

|
|

To view New Hampshire law pertaining to voter identification, click here.

Additionally, a moderator or other election official may verify the voter’s identity.[19]

A voter may obtain a free photo ID for voting purposes by presenting a voucher from their local clerk or the New Hampshire Secretary of State to any New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles office that issues identification.[19]

### Early voting[edit]

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[edit]

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:[20]

* 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 confined in a penal institution for a misdemeanor conviction or is awaiting trial.
* The voter is a member of the address confidentiality program or is protected by a domestic violence protective order.
* The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm, blizzard, or ice storm warning for the area where the voter lives, and they have concerns about traveling safely to the polling place.

Voters requesting an absentee ballot by mail must do so by 12:00 p.m. the day before the election. The deadline for in-person absentee ballot requests is 5:00 p.m. the day before the election.[20]

The completed ballot must be received by a local clerk by 5:00 p.m. on Election Day.[21] A voter must include a photocopy of a valid photo identification or a notarized signature with the absentee ballot application. Voters may also present photo identification at a town clerk’s office to request an absentee ballot.[20][22]

## See also[edit]

* 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[edit]

1. ↑ Maloney resigned his seat on October 13, 2017.
2. ↑ Jasper resigned on December 1, 2017.
3. ↑ Belanger died in July 2017.
4. ↑ Azarian resigned in February 2018.
5. ↑ Doucette resigned in November 2017.
6. ↑ Phinney switched from the Republican Party to the Libertarian Party in 2017.
7. ↑ 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.
8. ↑ New Hampshire General Court, "N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 659:14," accessed December 10, 2025
9. ↑ New Hampshire General Court, "N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 654:34," accessed December 10, 2025
10. ↑ New Hampshire General Court, "N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 659:4," accessed December 10, 2025
11. ↑ New Hampshire Bulletin, "What to expect on Election Day in New Hampshire," November 4, 2024
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 New Hampshire Secretary of State, “How to Register to Vote,” accessed December 10, 2025
13. ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, “Register to Vote,” accessed December 10, 2025
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
15. ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, "Absentee Voter Registration," accessed December 10, 2025
16. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Automatic Voter Registration," accessed December 10, 2025
17. ↑ General Court of New Hampshire, "CHAPTER 378 HB 1569-FN - FINAL VERSION," accessed December 10, 2025
18. ↑ 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."
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 State of New Hampshire, "Voter ID Law Explanatory Document," accessed December 10, 2025
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 New Hampshire Secretary of State, "Absentee Ballots," accessed December 10, 2025
21. ↑ New Hampshire General Court, "N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 657:17," accessed December 10, 2025
22. ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State, "Application for State Election Absentee Ballot-RSA 657:4," accessed December 10, 2025

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