GOP majority in state Senate swells with wins in Manchester, southern suburbs
Nov. 6—With a strong performance at the top of the ballot, state Senate Republicans increased their majority in the upper chamber with two upset victories to give them a 16-to-8 edge.
The most surprising was former state Rep. Victoria Sullivan, R-Manchester, whose past campaigns for mayor and local offices paid off with an impressive win over Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy of Manchester, who had held the seat for six terms.
This District 18 seat includes Manchester Wards 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 along with the town of Litchfield.
"We did it!!! Thank you all for your support. I am truly grateful and blessed!" Sullivan posted on X late Tuesday night.
Many Republican activists praised Sullivan for deflating attempts by Democratic campaign operatives to belittle her campaign.
"Congratulations Victoria! Your patience, tenacity and perseverance against constant vile attacks by the left paid off for the citizens of the Granite State. If I may borrow a phrase from our friends, 'She persisted!'" said Rep. Terry Roy, R-Deerfield.
Manchester Democrats did have something to celebrate Tuesday as voters also chose Manchester Alderman and nine-term state Rep. Pat Long to replace retiring Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, D-Manchester, who is ending 50 years of elective politics this fall.
Long defeated Manchester Republican Brittany Ping by about 10% in the district made up of Wards 2, 3, 4, 10, 11 and 12.
The other GOP pickup in the Senate was less of a shocker, with three-term Rep. Tim McGough of Merrimack unseating two-term Sen. Shannon Chandley, D-Amherst, in the swing District 11 that the two parties have taken turns holding over the past decade.
This district includes the towns of Amherst, Merrimack, Milford and Wilton.
McGough won by nearly 700 votes.
Bradley: Taxes matter
Both parties were pretty evenly matched in fundraising. Each raised nearly $2 million to try to win majority control.
Retiring Senate President Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, said Republicans made gains because of pocketbook issues.
"At the end of the day, this election was about the economy and the kitchen table issues, and the voters trust Republicans with their wallets," Bradley said.
Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley encouraged his supporters to stay in the fight and that they would make a comeback in 2026.
"Last night we sent Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander to Congress and Vice President Harris won New Hampshire, but voters across our state and country ultimately chose to bring us down a different path than the one we had hoped and worked for," Buckley said in a statement.
"Over the days, weeks, and months to follow, we will get right back to work for the people of New Hampshire. I want to thank our candidates for stepping into the arena. I want to thank the staff who worked tirelessly for their causes. I want to thank our supporters, volunteers, donors, and everyone else who contributed to our efforts. And I want to urge you all to stay in the fight — we need you."
Also in Manchester, first-term Sen. Keith Murphy, R-Manchester, won with 57% of the vote over retired State Librarian Michael York, a Goffstown Democrat who won his party's nomination with a write-in campaign in the September primary.
This GOP-leaning district includes Manchester Ward 1, Goffstown, Hooksett, Candia and Raymond.
The three other Republicans whom the Democratic leadership had focused most on defeating won — two with ease and the third proving to be the closest race among all 24 in the chamber.
Four-term Sen. Kevin Avard, R-Nashua, easily defeated first-term state Rep. Ben Ming, D-Hollis, by about 15 percentage points.
Democratic leaders were bullish about their chances of knocking off two-term Sen. Dan Innis, R-Webster, with Andover Democrat Stu Green, a retired diplomat and farmer. But Innis won by double digits as well.
In one of the most expensive races, two-term Sen. Denise Ricciardi, R-Bedford, won by 3% in a rematch from 2022 with retired pilot and sports coach Matt McLaughlin, a Bedford Democrat.
Voters picked three new state senators to replace those who weren't running again.
In the Concord area, Merrimack County Commissioner Tara Reardon easily defeated Concord Republican Pamela Ean to succeed Sen. Becky Whitley, D-Hopkinton, who stepped aside to run for Congress before abandoning that campaign.
Bradley's replacement in District 3 was nine-term state Rep. Mark McConkey, R-Freedom, who served as chairman of the House Public Works and Highways Committee. He defeated Republican-turned-Democrat state Rep. Bill Marsh of Northfield.
In the North Country, Republican first-term Rep. David Rochefort of Littleton won convincingly over Franconia Democrat Rusty Talbot to replace one-term Sen. Carrie Gendreau, R-Littleton, who stepped aside after she had angered residents by speaking out against artwork in her town.
