In a surprising turn of events, Democrats lost two seats in the New Hampshire state Senate, resulting in Republicans obtaining a veto-proof majority in the upper chamber. Minority leader Donna Soucy of Manchester and Sen. Shannon Chandley were both defeated by Republican candidates, leading to the Republicans holding a 16-8 majority in the Senate. The slim margins of victory in these races prompted discussions of potential recounts, as Soucy trailed her opponent by 2.9 points, while Chandley fell by 1.9 points according to results from the Secretary of State’s Office.
Republican victories were celebrated by candidates such as Victoria Sullivan and Tim McGough, who claimed their wins in online posts. The overall success for Republicans in the state continued with Republican Kelly Ayotte winning the governorship over Democrat Joyce Craig, and was poised to expand their control of the House.
Chair of the state’s Democratic Party, Raymond Buckley, acknowledged the losses across New Hampshire, but highlighted the wins of U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas and first-time candidate Maggie Goodlander. For Republicans, they expressed their satisfaction with achieving a supermajority in the state Senate for the first time in over a decade. Additionally, other key Senate races were closely watched, with Republicans maintaining control of District 1 and District 7 seats, as well as incumbent Denise Ricciardi holding onto the District 9 seat against a Democratic challenger. The outcome of these elections solidified Republican control in the state government.
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