Lebanon
As expected, state Sen. Martha Hennessey, D-Hanover, won a second term in the Senate, defeating Claremont Republican Patrick Lozito in several key District 5 communities.
Hennessey won Lebanon, 4,427-1434, and Claremont, 2,076-1,766, as well as Hanover, Enfield and Canaan. She had 77 percent of the vote with more than half of the towns in her district reporting results.
“I’m very excited to be able to represent this district again,” she said on Tuesday night. “I’m honored and beyond hope, honestly, that when I go to bed tonight, I’ll know that we have a majority in the Senate.”
But as of late Tuesday evening, results from several towns in two Republican-held state Senate districts hadn’t been finalized, leaving the fate of two contested races in question.
In the Haverhill-area District 2 seat, Plymouth Selectboard Chairman Bill Bolton, a Democrat, was in a tight race with state Sen. Bob Giuda, R-Warren.
With 81 percent of towns formally reporting, Giuda had about 51 percent support, to nearly 49 percent for Bolton, according to a count by the Associated Press. Giuda said he was leading by 812 votes with results from just two towns pending.
The district runs from the Lakes Region to Grafton County and includes the towns of Haverhill, Piermont, Orford, Dorchester, Grafton and Orange.
Giuda won in Piermont, 166-165, Grafton, 310-225, and Dorchester, 107-48, while Bolton took Orange, 73-68.
Vote totals showed a tight race in Senate District 8, where Sutton Democrat Jenn Alford-Teaster was challenging Sen. Ruth Ward, R-Stoddard, in the 24-town district, which stretches from Grantham to Weare.
Ward had 50.8 percent, to 49.1 percent for Alford-Teaster, with 70 percent of towns reporting.
The district includes the Upper Valley towns of Grantham, Newport, Sunapee, New London, Croydon, Springfield and Unity.
Alford-Teaster won in New London, 1,522-1018, while Ward took Newport, 1,161-864, and Weare, 2,122-1,457.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.