One of the plaintiffs, George M. Maglaras of Dover, said the judge’s order doesn’t necessarily suggest he’ll rule against the commissioners on the merits of their lawsuit.
“There’s a lot of constitutional questions at stake here,” he said. “I don’t know whether he will rule against us or not.”
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Maglaras has said the new law aimed to “destroy” the Strafford County Commission. If the law remains in effect, it could pit him against fellow incumbent commissioner Deanna Rollo of Rollinsford in the Democratic primary for the newly established second district, preventing one of them from advancing to the general election.
Maglaras, who is serving his 20th two-year term, said he intends to seek reelection. Rollo said she has not yet decided whether to run again. They are both eagerly awaiting further word from the court.
The judge is slated to hold a hearing next Thursday, June 13, on the state’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, according to court records. That’s the day before the filing period closes.
New Hampshire Senator James P. Gray, a Republican from Rochester who advocated for the change, said he heard from constituents and fellow lawmakers who expressed concerns about the voices of conservative voters in northern Strafford County being drowned out by Democratic voters in the county’s southern communities.
The three Republicans who ran for Strafford County commissioner in 2022 carried about 41 percent of the vote but didn’t win any of the three seats.
Gray said divvying the county into three separate districts gives conservative voters a shot at electing a commissioner who aligns with their views. It also makes Strafford County more similar to New Hampshire’s other nine counties, which already have commissioner districts, he said.
“What I’m trying to do is bring Strafford County in line with the others and make sure there is fair representation,” he said.
Gray said the judge’s decision late last week was an encouraging development that brought needed clarity ahead of the filing period, and the final outcome of this case remains to be seen.
The third Democratic incumbent commissioner, Robert J. Watson of Rochester, appears to live in the newly drawn first district, which covers several communities across northern Strafford County. He did not return calls seeking comment.
Democrats have denounced the introduction of district lines — which slice through Strafford County’s two most populous cities, Dover and Rochester — as a form of partisan gerrymandering. They tried to undo the change with another bill this year, but failed.
Commissioners, who will earn a base salary of $13,907 next year, are generally tasked with oversight of county government departments and budgetary matters. Some serve two-year terms. Others serve four-year terms that may be staggered.
While commissioners in New Hampshire’s other nine counties must live in the districts they represent, not all of them are elected solely by the voters in their district. Each commissioner in Carroll and Sullivan counties is picked through a countywide vote.
Maglaras said he will review the judge’s final ruling then decide whether to appeal to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. He said this law shows how state lawmakers have foisted “Washington-style politics” onto Strafford County government.
“I just feel sorry for the people of Strafford County who have been disenfranchised by this action,” he said. “I think it’s totally wrong.”
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.
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