With the New Hampshire GOP’s unexpectedly strong showing behind him, state party chair Chris Ager announced Monday he’s not seeking a second two-year term in the job.
“I have decided not to seek another term as NHGOP Chairman,” Ager said. “I am pursuing other opportunities to help the party and I will definitely stay involved.”
Ager won the job two years ago over the opposition of Gov. Chris Sununu and many in the state GOP establishment. It was a repeat of his performance defeating incumbent Steve Duprey for the post of Republican National Committeeman in 2020.
There was nothing but praise for Ager from Granite State politicos after his announcement.
“The New Hampshire Republican Party is stronger today thanks to the leadership of Chris Ager. We’ve flipped the State House red, delivered on Republican priorities, and strengthened the New Hampshire Advantage,” Sununu said in a statement. “Well done, Chairman Ager!”
One of Ager’s priorities was helping elect Manchester’s first Republican mayor since 2014, and he put the state party’s resources behind the candidacy of Jay Ruais. It paid off when Ruais defeated outgoing Mayor Joyce Craig’s handpicked successor in 2023. That, in turn, helped Republican Kelly Ayotte carry Manchester in her nine-point trouncing of Craig in the race for governor.
“I want to thank Chairman Ager for his leadership of the NHGOP over his tenure and for his efforts in supporting our campaign for mayor last year,” Ruais said. “His tenure has been extraordinary as reflected in our increased margins at the State House as well as Gov.-elect Ayotte’s victory this fall. Being chairman can be a tough and thankless job at times. Through it all, Chris kept his focus and delivered.”
Even his combative Democratic counterpart, state chair Ray Buckley, offered kind words after Ager’s announcement.
“Both Chairman Ager and I know that the role of state party chair demands significant time, energy, and dedication, and while we may stand on opposite sides of the issues, I know we’ve always had the best interests of our state and country in mind,” Buckley said.
New Hampshire Republicans have only won a single federal race since the Tea Party election of 2010, reflecting the state of the national party in deep blue New England. However, at the state level, the Granite State has broken with the rest of the region, electing Republican governors in five straight elections and a GOP legislative majority in four of the past five cycles on Buckley’s watch.
And GOP voter registrations surpassed Democrats on Ager’s watch for the first time since 2019.
“Chris Ager has been an extraordinary leader for the NHGOP,” said RNC Committeeman Bill O’Brien. “Under his guidance, we grew Republican majorities in the New Hampshire House and Senate, secured a 4-1 Republican majority on the Executive Council, and celebrated Kelly Ayotte’s election as governor. His leadership has positioned the NHGOP as a dominant force in New Hampshire politics.”
Another point of differentiation: The Granite State GOP kept its First in the Nation presidential primary status in 2024, while Democrats were stripped of theirs by President Joe Biden and the national Democratic party.
Ager was adamantly neutral in the presidential primary, though he did speak out against efforts by some Republicans — including failed U.S. Senate candidate Corky Messner — to keep Donald Trump off the primary ballot. Messner argued that allegations Trump participated in an “insurrection” could be enough to deny him ballot access. Ager disagreed.
“Efforts to deny New Hampshire Republican primary voters a full slate of options are antithetical to our ‘Live Free or Die’ tradition,” Ager responded. “The state Republican Party will fight all efforts to eliminate candidates from our primary ballot.”
The U.S. Supreme Court shot down Messner’s arguments.
Now attention turns to picking Ager’s successor. State Committee Vice Chairman Jim MacEachern has already announced his candidacy, as has radio host and former Sullivan County GOP chair Keith Hanson. Hanson has run unsuccessfully twice before.
