You didn’t have to be a political junkie to enjoy the wild ride that was the 2024 election cycle — but it helped to understand just how crazy the ride was.
Just a few examples of the political history made in this election cycle:
— Donald Trump became the first president elected to a second non-consecutive term since Democrat Grover Cleveland in 1892. (Neither candidate ever carried New Hampshire.)
— Joe Biden became the first presidential candidate to win enough delegates to claim his party’s nomination and then drop out of the race … ever.
— Trump is the first non-incumbent Republican presidential candidate to win the national popular vote since Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1988.
— Chris Sununu became the first Republican governor to pass the office off to another Republican since 1992, when Gov. Judd Gregg was followed by Steve Merrill.
— Kelly Ayotte’s nine-point margin of victory in the New Hampshire governor’s race was the biggest for a non-incumbent Republican since Craig Benson crushed Democrat Mark Fernald by 20 points in 2002.
— 2024 was the third presidential election in a row where the GOP candidate for New Hampshire governor received more votes than the Democratic candidate for president.
So, what was the biggest story in Granite State politics this year? Who was the biggest winner? Biggest loser?
Nearly 300 NHJournal subscribers responded to our reader survey and shared their answers. (If you’d like to take the survey, just click here!)
We also asked our Granite State Gurus — the veteran political pros and grassroots activists who offer their informed insights on political news.
And so without any further ado….
BIGGEST WINNER OF 2024:
Gov.-elect Kelly Ayotte
Seriously, who else could it be? Both NHJournal readers and Gurus agreed Ayotte was the winner of the year, and it was more than just her impressive victory over former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig. It was also the effectiveness of her campaign. Some scoffed at her “Don’t MASS Up New Hampshire” slogan as hokey and off message. Others were surprised by her decision to stay on offense from the early days of her primary against former state Senate President Chuck Morse until the final days of the general election.
It all worked. In fact, her “Don’t MASS Up New Hampshire” pitch worked so well, Democrats are trying to use it against Scott Brown as he gears up for a possible challenge to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
“Kelly ran a smart, tough race, and now is in line not only to inherit the 603 magic from Sununu, but become a national star,” one Guru said.
“She ran a mistake-free race and owned the narrative,” another added.
Nearly 60 percent of NHJournal survey respondents picked Ayotte as the year’s winner, with the New Hampshire GOP legislative leadership a distant second (23 percent). In third place is Lily Tang Williams, who also received a “Man of the Year” [sic] Award from the Washington Free Beacon.
Honorable Mention:
Gov. Chris Sununu. Handing off the job to an ally, leaving at the top of his game.
U.S. Rep.-elect Maggie Goodlander. The only question is when — not if — she runs for U.S. Senate.
State Sen. Victoria Sullivan (R-Manchester) defeated the state Senate’s top Democrat, Donna Soucy.
BIGGEST LOSER OF 2024:
Colin Van Ostern
Yes, it could easily be failed gubernatorial candidate Joyce Craig, or possibly state Democratic Party chairman Ray Buckley. Unlike the “Winner” category where there was overwhelming consensus around one nominee, the list of competitive loser candidates was long.
Why not Chuck Morse (R-Salem), who went from the most powerful member of the state legislature to the guy who couldn’t get 35 percent of the vote in his own party’s primary?
Or state Rep. Matt Wilhelm (D-Manchester), who — as one Guru put it– “Spent $3 million on state legislative races with nothing to show for it. Good luck getting the DLCC to pony up big here again”?
Or state Rep. Emily Phillips (R-Fremont), who had the backing of AFP-NH and other grassroots activists for a well-funded challenge of incumbent Sen. Bill Gannon (R-Sandown), only to get a smackdown at the polls?
Because chances are you didn’t even think of Van Ostern until you read his name. That’s how bad 2024 was for the Concord Democrat. From his party’s short list to their sh… — well, not short list — in just a few months.
In 2016, Van Ostern was the Democratic nominee who lost to Chris Sununu by just two points. In 2024, he was U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster’s handpicked successor for her seat, making him the presumptive representative-elect from the Second Congressional District. And then a candidate who hasn’t lived in the district since Obama’s first term shows up out of nowhere and ends his candidacy — and likely his political career.
As one Guru put it: “My pick for biggest losers are Colin Von Ostern, unsuccessful in this third straight run for office; and his main backer Kuster, yet another incumbent who tried to manipulate the system to handpick their successor instead of letting the voters choose.”
It’s possible to imagine Craig running for office again, for governor or maybe her old job in Manchester. But Van Ostern? Done.
MOST FASCINATING STORY OF 2024:
The NHDems Defense of President Joe Biden
The “Biggest Story” pick was overwhelming and obvious: Ayotte and the NHGOP’s big wins in November, with an honorable mention to the state Democratic Party’s fumbling of the First in the Nation presidential primary.
More interesting were the stories our readers said fascinated them the most in 2024, and topping the list was the unapologetic — some would say “shameful” — way Granite State Democrats defended the clearly incapacitated president.
Long after polls showed Americans thought he was toast, Kuster was still insisting Joe Biden was “sharp.” U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan defended him after his disastrous debate performance, reiterating in support for his candidacy and calling him “perhaps the most successful president in my lifetime.” U.S. Rep.-elect Maggie Goodlander repeatedly compared him to George Washington.
“The same delusion that allowed Democrats to think Biden was ok to run for reelection convinced Democrats that Joyce Craig could run statewide after a disastrous tenure as Manchester mayor,” one Guru said.
Other favorite stories:
Fight Over Pink “XX” Wristbands at Bow High School.
The Geno and Bobbie Hantz Marconi Saga.
QUOTE OF THE YEAR:
“Fight! Fight! Fight!” — Donald Trump
Honorable Mention:
“Suck it up, Buttercup.” — Former NH Dem Party Chair Kathy Sullivan demanding Democrats stick with Joe Biden after his disastrous debate performance.
“Don’t MASS Up New Hampshire.” — Ayotte campaign slogan.
“You are wealthy. You’re worth $20 million to $30 million. How do you know about regular people’s suffering? Do you go shopping? Go to Walmart? Buy food? I talk to those people. And you pretend to be a renter in Nashua a few months ago, move back to run for this open seat with millions of dollars from Washington, D.C. insiders…I don’t have money to run a TV ad, and you pretend you are poor, complain that rent is so high. You do not understand regular people’s concerns.” — Lily Tang Williams to Maggie Goodlander during WMUR NH-02 debate.
PREDICTION: The Biggest NH Politics Story of 2025 Will Be…
NH State Budget Battle.
Many issues are on the minds of our readers as we head into 2025, including the lead up into the 2026 U.S. Senate race and the ongoing political fight over protecting women’s sports from biological males. But on both sides of the aisle, political insiders see a budget battle royale they believe will roil state politics. And many believe it will give Democrats an opportunity to score points against the GOP.
“By far, the biggest 2025 N.H. political story will involve Democrats trying to make political hay out of the state budget process,” one respondent wrote. “Expect the usual hysterical pronouncements — similar to hysterical pronouncements about ‘climate change crisis’ or about the ‘existential threats’ posed by Trump.”
