New Hampshire will say goodbye to its September state primary elections after Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed a law moving them three months earlier.
Starting in 2028, party primaries for statewide offices — including the governor, executive councilors, state senators and state representatives — will be held on the second Tuesday in June.
Ayotte’s signature marks the culmination of a years-long effort in the State House. Lawmakers from both parties widely agree that a longer general election campaign will also help voters make more informed decisions in November, though there are some concerns about fatigue and information overload.
Concord Rep. Kris Schultz, a Democrat, was the prime sponsor of House Bill 481. After more than a decade in politics, she said came to New Hampshire in 2002 to manage a gubernatorial campaign and was “shocked” to see how late the primary was compared to other states.
Contrary to its famed First in the Nation presidential primary, New Hampshire’s state primary election day is among the latest in the country, alongside Delaware, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Schultz said more time between the primary and general elections could help political parties recover and mend fences after a contentious primary, and it gives candidates more time to pivot from one sector of voters to the broader population.
“Right now, the average general election in New Hampshire is about 58 days, and this is not nearly enough … to have a chance to really communicate your message and raise the money that you need, build the coalition that you need, because it’s a whole other campaign,” Schultz said in an interview last month.
