Republicans are returning to power in Concord, as Chris Sununu follows his father’s footsteps to the governorship, defeating Democrat Colin Van Ostern, and Temple-native Democrat Dan Weeks lost his bid for District 5 executive councilor to GOP incumbent Dave Wheeler.
For Weeks, a ConVal graduate in 2001, just getting the chance to campaign in his hometown was special. During an Election Day stop at the Temple Town Hall, his mother joined him and he bumped into his second-grade teacher.
“It’s really special to be here,” he said during the stop. “Not just because I’m from here – this is the picture of democracy, it’s where I learned about democracy.”
Weeks hoped to get a boost as a hometown guy in the typically Republican Temple, but to no avail. He lost there by a mere 15 votes, 418-403, even though Democrats carried this town in the presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial and congressional races.
He lost the election districtwide, earning 61,251 votes to his opponent’s 73,371.
“We’ve done everything we could,” he said on Election Day. “We reached at least 60,000 voters directly over several months.”
On his opponent, the incumbent Wheeler, he said, “He has my support and I very much hope he’ll take seriously the concerns raised during this campaign by myself and voters.”
Weeks spoke admirably of both gubernatorial candidates, including eventual winner Chris Sununu.
The son of former New Hampshire Gov. John H. Sununu and brother of former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, he is continuing a powerful New Hampshire political legacy.
Sununu took the state by a count of 353,427 to 337,141, the most comfortable victory of the day’s statewide races.
“I know Chris Sununu and I really respect Chris Sununu, I’ve worked on committees with him,” Weeks said.
Voters hope Sununu is able to partner with the Legislature to move New Hampshire forward. Dublin voter Cathy Lamontagne said, “Sununu will be able to accomplish more with the Senate and House behind him.”
Naturally, Weeks wished luck to his mentor and fellow Democrat Colin Van Ostern, the former District 2 executive councilor who lost to Sununu.
“He’s been a role model,” Weeks said. “When I was thinking of running I sat down with him to talk about the position and what it entails, and we see eye-to-eye on a lot of positions.”
In Van Ostern’s former position, which covers Dublin and Hancock as well as a large swath of western and central New Hampshire, Democrat Andy Volinsky won over Sam Cataldo by nearly 8,000 votes.
In a statement, Volinsky said, “To keep moving New Hampshire forward, we must hold our elected officials accountable and never stop fighting for social, economic, and environmental justice.”
For Weeks, the end of the election means a chance to spend some time at his home in Nashua with his wife and two children.
He said it is too early to tell whether he plans to run again.
“I’ll continue serving, whether its as a candidate or in my roles as an advocate for government reform,” he said. “I have a deep desire to serve.”