Ayotte keeps 4-out-of-5 Republican advantage on Executive Council

Nov. 6—Gov.-Elect Kelly Ayotte will have the same supermajority on the five-person Executive Council as outgoing Gov. Chris Sununu had for the past four years after voters chose Republicans in four of the districts.

As expected, former Lebanon Mayor and City Councilor Karen Liot Hill was the only Democrat to survive, winning the Dist. 2 seat that Concord Democrat Cinde Warmington had left to run for governor this year.

She easily defeated retired librarian Kim Strathdee of Plymouth by 15 points.

Former Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen, a Manchester Republican, won the other open seat, replacing three-term Councilor Ted Gatsas, R-Manchester, who retired.

With 86% of the vote counted, Stephen led Manchester school board Vice Chairman Jim O'Connell with 54% to 46%.

Incumbent Republican Councilors Joseph Kenney of Wakefield, Janet Stevens of Rye and David Wheeler of Milford also defeated their Democratic opponents.

According to unofficial results, former Sen. Melanie Levesque, a Brookline Democrat, came closest, getting nearly 47% of the vote in her race against Wheeler.

None of the five races are close enough to warrant recounts that must be requested by Friday at 5 p.m.

In 2021, the Republican-led Legislature approved a redistricting map for the council that made Liot Hill's Second District even more Democratic, while making the other seats more Republican.

As a result, Democratic candidates for the council in 2022 got more total votes, but Warmington was still the only one to win.

The elections were a significant setback for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.

For the past three years, the council has blocked state spending on family planning grants for Planned Parenthood and two other providers that perform abortions in the state.

This came over the objection of outgoing Republican Gov. Sununu, who had been supportive of the contracts.

Ayotte has said she continues to oppose taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood.

Emily's List, one of the nation's most powerful, pro-abortion rights organizations, celebrated Liot Hill's victory.

"Liot Hill has a proven track record of fighting for the people of New Hampshire," Emily's List President Jessica Mackler said in a statement.

"She is dedicated to protecting reproductive freedoms, creating access to affordable housing and child care, and ensuring fair funding for public schools."

The results also likely mean Ayotte will have success in steering through nominations to state agency posts through this body as Sununu consistently did.

For example, the term of Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut of Wilton is up this coming March. Democratic nominee for governor Joyce Craig of Manchester had vowed on her first day in office to ask for Edelblut's resignation. Now if Edelblut wants another four-year stint, he's likely to get it.