NH House race for Newington, Portsmouth Ward 1: What to know about Mandelbaum vs. Bush

NEWINGTON — On Tuesday, March 12, voters in Newington and Portsmouth Ward 1 will have the opportunity to vote in a special election to elect a state representative.

Democrat Jennifer Mandelbaum of Portsmouth will be facing off against Republican Carol Bush of Newington to complete the term of first-term state Rep. Robin Vogt, who resigned because he was moving out of the district to Durham.

The winner will be the state representative for Rockingham County District 21, which includes Newington and Portsmouth Ward 1, for the remainder of Vogt's term and could seek reelection to a new, two-year term in November 2024.

Democratic candidate Jennifer Mandelbaum

Mandelbaum is a public health researcher with a Ph.D. in public health from the University of South Carolina. She is also a member of the Portsmouth Public Library’s board of trustees.

Mandelbaum said she was recruited to run by 603 Forward, a group based in Concord that tries to get young people to run for office.

“I said yes because I think we need more young people in government,” said Mandelbaum, who is 32. “Young adults are underrepresented in the state legislatures, and a lot of issues can uniquely affect us.” She said housing is something that is a challenge for people across generations, but that it can be especially hard for young people to get a “foot in the door of home ownership.”

The three pillars of her campaign, she said, are reproductive rights, housing, and addressing climate change.

“I think it’s evidenced by some of the recent bills that propose a 15-day abortion ban that some of our legislators don’t understand basic human anatomy,” she said. “If we want to attract and retain young talent, we really need to make sure that they can afford to live here. And then kind of the third focus of my campaign is climate change. I think we feel the effects of climate change pretty acutely here on the Seacoast.”

In the Jan. 23 primary, Mandelbaum defeated ex-state Rep. Jacqueline Cali-Pitts, a Democrat who had served in the House for 24 years before being defeated by Vogt.

Mandelbaum is originally from Londonderry. After growing up visiting the Seacoast, she said choosing to live there as an adult was a "no-brainer."

Republican candidate Carol Bush

No Republican candidates filed for the primary. The Republican Party nominated Bush to run against Mandelbaum. If there is a vacancy after the filing period, the party in which there is a vacancy is allowed to nominate someone to run, who then has to fill out a declaration of candidacy.

Bush previously served in the House in 2015 and 2016 before retiring to deal with health issues she and her husband were facing. When the Republican Party asked her to run, she was hesitant at first because of the recent death of her husband.

“At first, I thought no, and then I thought, yeah, I need to get out, and we need to fill that spot,” she said. She enjoyed her previous tenure, referencing her work on the Agriculture Committee.

This year, Bush said her top issues are border security and election fraud.

“I’m passionate about people coming in from all around the world, the invasion,” she said. “I’m passionate about we need to do something about the elections, fraud in the elections.”

Before starting at the Statehouse in 2015, she was a teacher, a pharmacy tech, and a caretaker. She has a degree in chemistry from Southern Connecticut State University. Bush has lived in Newington for more than two decades.

What will the result mean for the New Hampshire House?

Rockingham County District 21 is a heavily Democratic district, and the result of this election could narrow the gap between parties in the New Hampshire House.

The New Hampshire House of Representatives currently has a thin margin between Republicans and Democrats. There are currently 201 Republicans, 194 Democrats, three independents, and two vacancies.

Those two vacancies will be filled by this special election, along with one in Strafford County. Both will take place on March 12.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Mandelbaum vs. Bush in Portsmouth, Newington NH House election