NH House Dems win 2 special elections
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Mar. 12—Democrats won both special elections on Town Meeting Day, narrowing the slim Republican majority in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.
Wins for both Portsmouth environmental activist Jennifer Mandelbaum and Erik Johnson of Lee hardly came as a surprise since both were running in Democratic-leaning districts to replace Rep. Robin Vogt, D-Portsmouth, who moved out of the district in December, and Rep. Hoy Robert Menear, D-Lee, who died in November.
Mendelbaum defeated Republican Carol Bush of Newington for the seat that includes Portsmouth Ward 1 and Newington.
Johnson won over Joseph Bazo of Madbury for the seat that includes Dover Ward 4, Lee and Madbury.
"Tonight's two victories by Jennifer Mandelbaum and Erik Johnson is a strong statement that voters reject the attack on our rights and freedoms being pushed by New Hampshire Republicans," said Rep. Laura Telerski, D-Nashua, chair of the Democratic Victory Campaign Committee. "Hard-working Granite State families deserve public servants who will protect access to abortion and IVF, lower our property taxes, and fund our public schools. Both candidates will do just that."
Telerski said her party is poised to "flip the House" in the November election.
Since the 2022 elections, Democrats have won seven of nine special elections, with the only losses coming in two North Country districts that Republicans won on Jan. 23, the day of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary.
The GOP now holds a 201-195 advantage over Democrats in the House.
The margin was a little tighter if you consider the two House independents serving, Maria Perez of Milford and Shaun Filiault of Keene, both ran as Democrats when they won in 2022 and nearly always vote with Democrats on key issues.
The two seats filled in those January special elections were those left by the Feb. 9 resignation of Rep. Dan Hynes, I-Bedford, and a day later by the death of 18-term Rep. Sharon Nordgren, D-Hanover.
