Democrats hold House win after first recount

Nov. 12—The recounts of state and county elections began Tuesday with one Manchester Democrat easily holding onto to the victory he had won on Nov. 5.

After the ballots were again counted at the State Archives Building, Rep. David Preece had secured the second of two House seats from Manchester Ward 2 over Republican Ben Prescott by 36 votes.

The election-night count showed Preece had won by 38, but Prescott picked up two votes during the recount.

Election volunteers were working late into the night Tuesday counting ballots from Manchester Ward 4, where Democrat Donald Bouchard had won the second of two seats by 40 votes over Republican Dennis Demars.

Officials from both parties declared Tuesday's recounts were "just practice" for Wednesday's recount of the closest House race, in which incumbent Democrat Juliet Smith lost in Ward 12 to Republican Steven Kesselring by only seven votes.

"It's hard to turn these races around, but seven votes is doable," said Rep.-elect Ross Berry, R-Weare, who helped the Committee to Elect House Republicans this fall. "It's all hands on deck for that one."

Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington of Concord, who lost a primary bid for governor in September, helped lead the legal effort for House Democrats along with her husband, party legal counsel Bill Christie.

"This is democracy in action, isn't it?" Warmington asked rhetorically during Tuesday's recounts, gesturing to the room packed with volunteers from both parties observing the counting.

Republican Kevin Howard of Canaan withdrew his recount request after having lost on Election Day by 72 votes to Tom Oppel of Canaan for a three-town seat in Grafton County.

Six more House races are scheduled for recounts, along with one for a seat on the Grafton County board of commissioners.