By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – Voters in Rochester’s Ward 4 will have a run-off election for a House seat that ended in a tie.
Republican Secretary of State David Scanlan survived a challenge by former state Senator Melanie Levesque, a Democrat, and Sherman Packard, R-Londonderry, also won re-election on Organization Day at the State House.
Organization Day, the first Wednesday in December, is the day the House and Senate elect their leaders, as well as the Secretary of State and the State Treasurer.
Sen. Jeb Bradley, a Republican from Wolfeboro is the new Senate President and Monica Mezzapelle won another term as state Treasurer.
The vote for Secretary of State was 237 for Scanlan and 175 for Levesque, with a number of Democrats voting to support the Republican.
There were no blanks and one write-in vote.
The new 400-member House and 24-member Senate were sworn into their respective seats and it was a day for old friends and new to meet under the gold dome.
Packard, the Londonderry Republican who served as Speaker for the past two years following the sudden death of Dick Hinch to COVID-19, released the following statement after being re-elected to a second term to lead the NH House of Representatives.
The vote was 205 for Packard to 184 for Democrat state Rep. Matt Wilhelm of Manchester, with two ballots left blank and 391 votes cast.
“I am honored to have been re-elected as the NH House Speaker for the 2023-2024 legislative term. It is my priority to lead this historic body with an open mind and an opportunity to build bridges to help move this great state forward. The only way forward is together, and I am ready to roll up my sleeves to get good things done for our constituents,” Packard said.
In a Joint Session of both the House and Senate, Scanlan won re-election after serving as Secretary of State for about a year after William Gardner retired. He had been Gardner’s deputy for many years.
Levesque, who lost her attempt to return to her former Senate seat, was touted as someone who would change the office and was supported by many fellow Democrats but they are in both the House and Senate minority.
The job pays $105,930 a year and oversees a department budget of $1.03 million.
The Secretary of State has six divisions and in addition to managing elections, oversees vital records, archives, corporations, and UCC, and administration.
Scanlan thanked the general court “for this tremendous honor” and said it was clearly a bipartisan vote.
“I’d really like to thank my staff who worked really hard…to move the office forward,” Scanlan said.
He said he plans to continue for the next two years. He recognized the 46 years that Gardner served in the office.
Levesque said, “I am grateful for the support I received from so many members of the New Hampshire House and Senate. I ran because I believe our Secretary of State’s office can and should do more to protect access to the ballot for New Hampshire voters, so we do not remain the hardest state to cast a ballot in the country. Even though we did not win, I will continue to use my platform to advocate for pro-voter policies.”
TREASURER RE-ELECTED
Also, Monica Mezzapelle was elected for another two-year term as State Treasurer. She was unopposed.
“She manages our money,” said state Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, D-Manchester noting at one time, it was $2 billion.
Republican Ken Weyler of Kingston seconded the nomination. Mezzapelle also addressed the joint session.
“It is a true honor to have served as state treasurer over the past two years,” she said.
She noted two years ago, the Organization Day meeting was at UNH with many uncertainties in the midst of the COVID-19 health crisis.
BRADLEY NEW SENATE PRESIDENT
The Senate also elected state Sen. Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, as the Senate President. The Senate has the same 14-10 Republican majority it did the past two years. Bradley succeeds Chuck Morse who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate.
ELECTION RESULTS IN ROCHESTER
The House has a 198-201 majority Republican with one seat a tie after the election for a seat from Rochester Ward 4.
In that race, incumbent Chuck Grassie, a Democrat, was challenged by David Walker, a Republican. The election ended in a tie.
The House voted to adopt HR 6, a resolution returning the tied House election to the district to be determined in a special run-off election. Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm, D-Manchester, released the following statement:
“When push came to shove, the House did the right thing today. Passing HR 6 to ensure that Rochester’s representatives are chosen by Rochester’s residents was the only fair action that we could take. The House has a long history of upholding the voters will in tie-election situations and I am pleased that we did so again today.
“It was extremely disappointing that many Republicans were eager to thwart the will of the voters of Rochester,” Wilhelm said.
Gov. Chris Sununu issued a statement on the House leadership vote.
“Congratulations to Speaker Sherm Packard on serving another term as New Hampshire’s Speaker of the House.
“I am confident both Speaker Packard and Minority Leader Wilhelm will work collaboratively to address the important issues facing the people of New Hampshire, and I look forward to working with both parties to get the job done.”
Sununu also said: “Congratulations to Secretary of State Dave Scanlan on earning a full term as New Hampshire’s Secretary of State. Now, more than ever, we need Secretary of State Scanlan’s experienced leadership to defend, protect, and promote our First in the Nation Presidential Primary.”