By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – A recount for Coos County brought Democrats one step closer to possible control of the House of Representatives Tuesday with the count now 201 seats for Republicans and 199 for Democrats for the next two years with more narrow victories to still be re-counted.
John Greer, the Republican, had election data totals of 2,447 votes over Democrat Eamon Kelley, 2,443, but the recount found Greer with 2,450 to Kelley’s 2,452, winning by two votes.
Kelley picked up five new votes in Berlin in the recount while Greer picked up four. In Carroll, Greer’s numbers were unchanged but Kelley picked up two. Greer lost one vote in Jefferson and Kelley picked up one vote there in the recount. In Whitefield, the recount remained unchanged for Greer but Kelley lost a vote.
Coos County District 7 represents voters in Berlin, Carroll, Jefferson, Kilkenney, and Whitefield.
This is the second time a recount has changed the outcome in favor of a Democrat this week.
On Monday, the recount of Manchester’s Ward 6 ended with Larry Gagne, a Republican who initially won, losing to Maxine Mosley, a Democrat by one vote.
The vote totals on election night showed Republicans William Infantine with 1,895 votes, Gagne with 1,820 while Democrats Mosley received 1,797 votes and Holly Hillhouse received 1,644.
The recount showed Infantine still winning but with 1,877 votes; Gagne dropping to 1,798, Mosley gaining just two votes to 1,799, and Hillhouse losing one vote to 1,643.
Tuesday afternoon brought many people to the state archives in Concord to observe two recounts for House seats from Grafton County, both of which were won by fewer than 10 votes.
Grafton County District 7 represents the Town of Campton where incumbent Republican Mark Alliegro was defeated by 19 votes by Democrat Tommy Hoyt.
There was no change in that outcome after the recount, although a few votes changed.
There are more than a dozen more recounts for House seats, two for state Senate and one for Hillsborough County Registry of Deeds.