After years of using New Hampshire’s last-in-the-nation state primary date to help protect their party’s incumbents, House Democrats joined their GOP colleagues and voted to move it to June.
Legislation making primary day the second Tuesday in June passed the House in a voice vote Wednesday.
A competing Democrat-sponsored proposal (HB 408) backed by Secretary of State David Scanlan to push primary day up by just two weeks, to the fourth Tuesday in August, was tabled in a 190-147 vote earlier in the day.
State Rep. Ross Berry (R-Weare), chair of the House Election Law Committee, introduced the successful motion to table the proposed August primary date. He also introduced an amended version of HB 481 that moved back the implementation date from 2026 to 2027.
According to several GOP insiders, HB 481’s amended implementation date of 2027 was intended to address concerns that Scanlan and some local election officials have about the calendar change. They’ve expressed concern that a June election would mean candidates filing in March — around the same time town officials are holding local elections.
Berry’s amendment to delay implementation passed the House in a 337-1 bipartisan landslide.
Another reason to delay: The 2026 election is underway.
Berry told NHJournal a potential 2026 U.S. Senate primary is already brewing between Democratic U.S. Reps. Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander. Pappas is holding events outside his district, and Goodlander has confirmed she’s considering a run.
“They are already running, so we are already in cycle,” Berry said. “They may not have filed, but Pappas is holding town halls all over the state.”
Legislators have tried to move the primary in the past, but weren’t successful. One reason this year is different, political observers say, is that the legislation has Democrat Rep. Kris Schultz (D-Concord) as the lead sponsor — a sign the problems of a mid-September primary outweigh partisanship.
“The existing primary is an incumbent protection plan, I couldn’t agree more,” Schultz said during testimony before the House Election Law Committee earlier this year.
Just a year ago, Democrats serving on the House Election Law Committee voted unanimously against a June date.
One prominent Democrat is still critical of the idea. Immediately after the House voted in support of Berry’s amendment, New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley logged on to social media to share his opinion.
“Ross must be up to something sordid,” Buckley wrote. “That’s his act.”
Berry, asked about Buckley’s comment, told NHJournal he’s glad the Republicans’ campaign to keep the Democrat in his state party post was successful. Earlier this month, Berry helped spearhead a “Republicans for Ray” drive ahead of the state Democrat Party’s leadership election.
Berry and other Republicans have credited Buckley with being responsible in part for increasing their majorities in Concord.
“I want to wish Chairman Buckley congratulations on his reelection,” Berry said Wednesday. “As one of the founders of Republicans for Ray, I was glad to see him win.
“Visit RepublicansForRay.com for more!”
