Lebanon
Meanwhile, the Mascoma Valley is projected to remain split between the two parties.
Democrat Roger Dontonville defeated Republican Mike Lorrey in a race for Grafton 10, which represents Enfield.
Dontonville, a retired Grantham Village School teacher who focused his campaign on education issues, garnered 1,461 votes, while Lorrey, an Air Force veteran and writer, received 945. Dontonville will succeed Rep. Wendy Piper, D-Enfield, who decided to instead run for the County Commission.
Four Democrats were attempting to hold off a single Republican challenger to maintain Lebanon’s status as a Democratic stronghold in the Upper Valley.
Incumbent Reps. Susan Almy, Richard Abel, George Sykes and Andrew White were all running again in Grafton 13 against Republican Michael Balog, a retired police officer.
The district typically is a Democratic stronghold. Final tallies weren’t available, but the Democrats were leading by two-to-one margins in all three wards.
Democrats swept an election for Grafton 12, which represents Hanover and Lyme. Reps. Patricia Higgins and Sharon Nordgren will be joined by newcomers Polly Kent Campion and Mary Jane Mulligan in the House. No Republicans ran in the district.
Incumbent Reps. Jeff Shackett and Robert Hull looked to be maintaining their seats in the House representing Grafton 9, which includes the towns of Grafton, Alexandria, Bristol, Ashland and Bridgewater.
Both Republicans, Shackett and Hull garnered 2,000 and 1,728 votes respectively, with four of the five towns reporting. Democrats Judy Frothingham and Joshua Adjutant received 1,546 and 1,351 votes, respectively.
In the Grafton 16 floterial seat, the race between Democrat Carol Fredrich, of Wentworth, and state Rep. Duane Brown, a Republican also from Wentworth, was close, with seven of eight towns reporting.
The seat encompasses the communities of Canaan, Dorchester, Ellsworth, Groton, Orange, Rumney, Thornton and Wentworth.
Brown, an American Airlines pilot, was leading with 2,487 votes, with Fredrich garnering 2,365.
Rep. Stephen Darrow, R-Grafton, was holding off a challenge for Grafton 17 from former Rep. Catherine Mulholland, a Democrat also from Grafton. The floterial district includes Grafton, Enfield, Alexandria, Ashland, Bridgewater and Bristol.
Darrow received 3,147 votes while Mulholland received 3,029, with five of six towns reporting.
Democratic incumbent Kevin Maes, of Rumney, also was fighting to hold on to his seat in Grafton 6, which represents Orange, Groton, Rumney, Ellsworth and Thornton.
A retired teacher, Maes was leading Republican Sky Bartlett, of Thornton, 1,319 to 1,120, with four of five towns reporting.
Timothy Josephson, a Democrat from Canaan, ran unopposed for Grafton 11, which includes Canaan, Dorchester and Wentworth. He’ll replace outgoing Rep. Charles Townsend, D-Canaan, in the House.
A win by David Binford, of Orford, would mean Grafton 15 will continue to be held by a Republican.
He was leading Democrat Rachael Booth by 655- 525 votes in the district that contains Haverhill, Orford, Piermont, Bath, Benton, Easton, Landaff and Warren. Only three of the eight towns reported results by deadline on Tuesday.
The winner will replace state Rep. Paul Ingbretson, R-Pike, in Concord.
In Grafton 3, incumbent Rep. Susan Ford, D-Easton, was trailing Republican activist Vicki Schwaegler, of Orford in partial results.
The district encompasses Orford, Piermont, Bath, Benton and Easton.
Schwaegler received 675 votes with three of the seven towns reporting, while Ford garnered 525.
Rep. Rick Ladd, R-Haverhill, ran unopposed for a fifth term representing Grafton 4, which covers Haverhill.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.