Kelly Ayotte won. So did NH Democrats. Now comes the hard part
Democrats won nearly across the board in New Hampshire Nov. 3. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-NH, became the first openly gay man to be elected to the U.S. Senate, and Democrats won both U.S. House races . But perhaps the most jaw-dropping result was the New Hampshire legislature. While most state legislative races have yet to be officially called, it appears all but certain Democrats have flipped both chambers for the first time since 2018. NH House Clerk Paul Smith announced Nov. 4 that Democrats may hold a 292-107 advantage over Republicans in the House, a supermajority, while the Associated Press is forecasting a 15-9 lead for Democrats in the state Senate, which would be one seat away from a supermajority. Democrats are also projected to win all five seats on the Executive Council, a dramatic flip from the previous 4-1 Republican majority. This, despite gerrymandering of the seats that requires Democrats to secure about 54% of the vote to flip, according to University of New Hampshire Survey Center Director Andrew Smith. “This election will go down in New Hampshire political history,” said Dante Scala, a professor of political science at UNH. “Calling it a sea change is almost downplaying what
