Lebanon
Republicans picked up a single seat in the Haverhill area, but both parties otherwise managed to fend off challenges and maintain seats in the New Hampshire House.
In the only upset, state Rep. Susan Ford, D-Easton, lost her House seat in Grafton 3 to Republican activist Vicki Schwaegler, of Orford.
The seat represents the towns of Orford, Piermont, Bath, Benton and Easton. Schwaegler, of Orford, won the race with 52 percent of the vote.
“I’m looking forward to going to Concord. This is a really great time for Republicans because we have the corner office, and the Republicans have the majority in the House as well as the Senate,” Schwaegler said on Wednesday. “I’m not going to lose my focus. I’m totally there for my constituents.”
Schwaegler also thanked Ford for her service and said the two were never adversarial during the race. Instead, they made a pact to be “focused on a position not opposition,” she said.
Nearby, Republican David Binford defeated Democrat Rachael Booth for control of the Grafton 15 floterial district, which contains Haverhill, Orford, Piermont, Bath, Benton, Easton, Landaff and Warren.
Binford, of Orford, picked up 57 percent of the vote in those communities, with seven out of eight reporting by Wednesday night. He’ll replace Rep. Paul Ingbretson, R-Pike, in the House.
In the Mascoma Valley, Republican incumbent Reps. Jeff Shackett and Robert Hull held off a challenge from Democrats Judy Frothingham and Joshua Adjutant in Grafton 9. The district encompasses Grafton, Alexandria, Bristol, Ashland and Bridgewater.
Shackett garnered 30 percent of the vote, while Hull pulled in 26 percent, followed by Adjutant’s 24 percent and Frothingham’s 20 percent.
Rep. Duane Brown, R-Grafton, also managed to hold onto his seat in Grafton 16, against a challenge mounted by Democrat Carol Fredrich, of Wentworth. He pulled 52 percent of the vote in the district that covers Canaan, Dorchester, Ellsworth, Groton, Orange, Rumney, Thornton and Wentworth.
In Grafton 17, Rep. Stephen Darrow, R-Grafton, also held his seat against former Rep. Catherine Mulholland, of Grafton, on Tuesday. The district encompasses Grafton, Enfield, Alexandria, Ashland, Bridgewater and Bristol.
Darrow received 52 percent of the vote for a second term in the House.
Democrats were also able to defend their Mascoma-area seats. Rep. Kevin Maes, D-Rumney, won a second term in the House, defeating Thornton Republican Sky Bartlett in Grafton 6.
Maes took 53 percent of the vote to win the seat, which represents Orange, Groton, Rumney, Ellsworth and Thornton.
On the county level, Lebanon City Councilor Karen Liot Hill appeared to be leading the race for Grafton County treasurer. Hill, a Democrat, performed well in Enfield, Hanover, Lebanon and Plymouth in a race against Haverhill Republican Barbara Dutile, who bested the Democrat in small towns.
Register of Deeds Kelley Monahan, D-Orford, was also holding a lead against Republican Bill Sharp on Wednesday.
Rep. Wendy Piper, D-Enfield, was elected to the Grafton County Commission on Tuesday, replacing Mike Cryans on the board. Races in the other two commission districts were too close to call on Wednesday.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.