By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – The state’s Republican-controlled, 4-1 Executive Council was appearing to tip Democratic at 11 p.m. on election night with the lone Democrat, Karen Liot Hill, D-Lebanon, moving safely toward re-election and all the Republicans on the edge of their seats, with all losing.
Liot Hill was running ahead Republican Tobin Menard of Newport for District 2 with 63.6 percent of the vote and 54 percent of the total votes tallied.
Former State Senator Melanie Levesque of Nashua, challenging incumbent David Wheeler of Milford for the District 5 Executive Council seat had 55.5 percent of the vote with 57 percent of the vote in.
Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield, was running behind Democrat Luz Bay of Durham for District 1 with Bay holding 53.2 percent of the vote with 57 percent of the vote in as well.
District 3 Executive Councilor Janet Stevens, R-Rye had 46.6 percent of the vote against Lisa Kennedy Sheldon of Portsmouth, a Democrat, with 53.4 percent and 70 percent of the vote in.
Councilor John Stephen, R-Manchester, was behind Democrat Jim O’Connell of Manchester for District 4 with Stephen holding 46.7 percent of the vote with O’Connell having 53.3 percent with 71 percent of the district votes counted.
None of the challengers have experience on the Executive Council and of those five, only Levesque has served in Concord.
Each of the five Executive Councilors represents one fifth of the population or approximately 263,000 citizens.
According to its website, “The Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire has the authority and responsibility, together with the Governor, over the administration of the affairs of the State as defined in the New Hampshire Constitution, the New Hampshire statutes, and the advisory opinions of the New Hampshire Supreme Court and the Attorney General.”
The council approves all governor nominations for department commissioners and judges and state contracts of $10,000 or more.
It also plans for road projects 10 years out.
Levesque served in the State Senate from December 5, 2018 – December 2, 2020.
She was the first African American to serve in the New Hampshire state senate.
Wheeler has been councilor for the district which includes much of the state’s southwest corner since he defeated Debora Pignatelli in 2021 and had a number of years where he and Pignatelli took turns holding the seat and competing against each other for it.
Prior to his tenure on the council he was a member of the state Senate and the House of Representatives.
Levesque was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2006 for Hillsborough’s 5th district. She served two terms before being defeated for re-election in 2010.
In 2018, Levesque ran for the Senate against Republican incumbent Kevin Avard and one by 169 votes.
But in 2020, Levesque was defeated by Kevin Avard in a rematch and again in 2022. In 2022 she ran for Secretary of State but lost to David Scanlan.