By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD – None of the current five members of the state’s Executive Council have a primary fight on Tuesday night, but they are looking for the results of competitive races on the other ticket or are just not pursuing another term.
The state’s Executive Council confirms most all state contracts, appoints department heads and judges and serves as a court of last resort to people like Pam Smart who want to get out of prison or have their criminal records expunged.
It meets usually every other Wednesday at the State House with the governor who makes nominations and sets the agenda. The seat is often considered a launching point for higher office and was used by Chris Sununu, who was first an Executive Councilor for District 3 before he became the Republican governor, almost eight years ago. He is not running for another term.
Governors all know they have to be able to count three votes to get things passed on the council table and currently the Republican governor has enjoyed a 4-1 majority, with only one Democrat on board.
They each represent a geographical area of the state which was carved out in redistricting by the Republicans.
The geographic area is broken down roughly by population with District 1 being by far the largest, including the north country.
That seat is held by Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield.
He has no competition on Tuesday but will face Democrat Emmett Soldati of Somersworth in the general election, Nov. 5.
District 2 is a wide swath of the mid section of the state including Concord and Hanover and the seat is held by Democrat Cinde Warmington of Concord, who is stepping aside from that job to run for the Democratic nomination for governor.
She is the only Democrat on the five-member council.
There are primary races for that seat on both the Republican and Democratic ticket with Mary Rose Deak of Concord and Kim Strathdee of Plymouth vying for the Republican nod.
Karen Liot Hill of Lebanon is facing Mike Liberty of New London, Tuesday for the Democratic nomination to the Executive Council District 2 seat.
District 3 is in the Seacoast and southeast part of the state and is currently held by Executive Councilor Janet Stevens of Rye.
She is running for another term and will face Democrat Jon Morgan of Brentwood in November.
District 4 has been held by Manchester’s Ted Gatsas, a Republican who announced earlier that he was seeking retirement from political life. There are six Republicans vying for that seat.
The list includes Terese Bastarache of Loudon, Robert Burns of Manchester, John Reagan of Deerfield, John Stephen of Manchester, Ryan Terrell of Lee and Ross Terrio of Manchester.
Whoever wins Tuesday will face Democrat Jim O’Connell of Manchester for the Executive Council District 4 seat.
The District 5 seat, which represents the southwestern corner of the state, is currently held by Executive Councilor David Wheeler, R-Milford.
He will face either Democrat Shoshanna Kelly of Nashua or Melanie Levesque of Brookline for the District 5 Executive Council seat.
Results of those races Tuesday will be available after they are posted on the Secretary of State’s website at https://www.sos.nh.gov/2024-presidential-primary
