Campaign signs are beginning to pop up along New Hampshire streets, marking the start of another election season in New Hampshire. With the 2026 legislative session wrapped up, local candidates are once again taking to the streets to secure their seats for next year.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte seeks a second term, and Democrat Cinde Warmington hopes to unseat her. Jon Kiper, who ran in the Democratic primary in 2024, is running again as an independent.
Most local races are contested. In Senate District 10, however, Democratic state Sen. Donovan Fenton of Keene is likely to sail to reelection with no opponent thus far. His district includes Peterborough, Dublin and Hancock.
Below are the candidates running in the Monadnock region. An asterisk denotes an incumbent. (The list of candidate registrations is current as of June 19, per the Secretary of State’s office.)
Executive Council
The lone Democrat on the Executive Council, Karen Liot Hill, is seeking a second term to represent the expansive and rural District 2. She faces no primary opponent but will go head-to-head with either Tobin Menard or Kim Strathdee come November. Menard, a U.S. Air Force veteran, is a Libertarian from Newport. Strathdee, who lives in Plymouth, was the Republican nominee in 2024. This district includes Dublin, Hancock, Peterborough and Sharon.
Melanie Levesque will once again challenge Republican Dave Wheeler after losing by about 10,000 votes in 2024. Wheeler, who has served six non-consecutive terms on the Council since 2011, owns a carpet and construction company and a Christmas tree farm in Milford. Levesque is a former state senator and representative, and she owns a telecommunications consulting business.
Senate District 8
Sen. Ruth Ward, a Stoddard Republican, will retire after 10 years in Concord. Vying to replace her are Republican state Rep. Jim Creighton, a retired U.S. Army colonel from Antrim who currently chairs the House Labor, Industrial and Rehabilitative Services Committee, and Democrat David Trumble, a farmer and college debate coach in Weare who has run for public office several times.
This seat includes Antrim, Bennington and Francestown.
Senate District 9
Matt McLaughlin hopes the third time’s the charm as he pursues a rematch against Republican Sen. Denise Ricciardi. McLaughlin, a Democrat and U.S. Navy veteran, challenged Ricciardi in 2022 and 2024 but has come up about a thousand votes short each time. Ricciardi experienced some health challenges in the latter half of this legislative session but will seek a fourth term. Both live in Bedford.
District 9 includes Greenfield, Jaffrey, Lyndeborough, Temple and Sharon.
Senate District 11
Voters in Wilton will also see familiar names on the ballot. Republican Sen. Tim McGough seeks reelection after unseating Democrat Shannon Chandley in 2024. Chandley hopes to get her spot back, setting up a rematch. Along with Wilton, the district includes Amherst, Merrimack and Milford.
Senate District 12
Sen. Kevin Avard, a Nashua Republican, is running for his sixth term. He has served in the Senate since 2014, save for two years when Democrats flipped the seat in 2018. Carryl Roy, a school board member in Hollis, is the Democrat now hoping to unseat him.
State Representative
Cheshire 13 — 1 seat
- Tom Ahlborn-Hsu (D-Jaffrey)
Cheshire 14 — 1 seat
- Gene Andersen (D-Rindge)
- John Hunt (R-Rindge)*
Cheshire 18 — 2 seats
- Allen Davis (D-Dublin)
- Rita Mattson (R-Dublin)*
- Jim Qualey (R-Rindge)*
- Rory Sherman (D-Dublin)
Hillsborough 27 — 1 seat
- Mary Murphy (R-Francestown)*
Hillsborough 28 — 2 seats
- Travis Corcoran (R-Weare)*
- Keith Erf (R-Weare)*
- David Erikson (D-Weare)
- Benson Goodwin (D-Weare)
Hillsborough 30 — 3 seats
- Larry Baker (R-Hillsborough)
- William Bryk (D-Antrim)
- Austin Cottle (R-Antrim)
- Janet McEwen (D-Antrim)
- Tim Morehouse (R-Antrim)
Hillsborough 31 — 1 seat
- Jarvis Adams (R-Greenfield)
- Molly Howard (D-Hancock)*
Hillsborough 32 — 3 seats
- Diane Kelley (R-Temple)*
- Jim Kofalt (R-Wilton)*
- Shane Sirois (R-New Ipswich)*
- Richard Swanson (D-Wilton)
Hillsborough 33 — 2 seats
- Peter Leishman (D-Peterborough)*
- Kimberly Thomas (R-Peterborough)
- Jonah Orion Wheeler (D-Peterborough)*
Hillsborough 36 — 2 seats
- Diane Pauer (R-Brookline)*
- Michael Pellerito (D-Brookline)
- Stephen Spratt (D-Greenville)
- John Suiter (R-Mason)*
Hillsborough 42 — 3 seats
- Gerald Griffin (R-Mont Vernon)*
- Teri Harkins (D-New Boston)
- Rob Lovett (R-Mont Vernon)
- Lee Nyquist (D-New Boston)
- Lisa C.M. Post (R-Lyndeborough)*
- Peter Ryder (D-New Boston)
Hillsborough 44 — 2 seats
- Ross Berry (R-Weare)*
- Chris Conroy (D-Weare)
- Robert Jones (D-Goffstown)
- Lisa Mazur (R-Goffstown)*
Hillsborough 45 — 1 seat
- Jack Flanagan (R-Mason)*
- Jerry Roche (D-Brookline)
Editor’s note: Got questions for your local candidates? Want to let us know what issues are important to you in the upcoming election? Email statehouse reporter Charlotte Matherly at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.
