The 2024 New Hampshire state primary is upon us. From the governor’s race to U.S. House and state representative battles, the Seacoast will see plenty of contested races on the ballot with the winners advancing to the general election.

Here’s what you need to know.

When is the New Hampshire state primary?

The state primary is on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

How to vote in the primary

New Hampshire residents can vote at their designating polling place on Election Day.

More: Seacoast polling times and places listed here

Registered Democrats and Republicans must vote in their respective party’s primaries. Undeclared voters can choose a Democratic or Republican ballot.

You can find sample ballots here, and you can check your voter information here.

If you are at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, and domiciled in a New Hampshire town or city ward, you may register to vote on Election Day at your polling location. You must fill out a voter registration form and show proof of identity, age, citizenship and having established a domicile. If you don’t have the documents with you on Election Day, you may prove those qualifications by completing an affidavit.

If you meet certain qualifications, you may also vote by absentee ballot. 

Here is a guide.

U.S. House primary elections in NH

First Congressional District

The Republican primary for New Hampshire’s First Congressional District features seven candidates: Russell Prescott, Joe Kelly Lavasseur, Chris Bright, Walter McFarlane, Hollie Noveletsky, Andy Martin, and Max Abramson.

The winner will face incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas.

Second Congressional District

Maggie Goodlander and Colin Van Ostern are vying for the Democratic nomination for New Hampshire’s Second Congressional District. 

There are 13 candidates on the Republican side. They are Tom Alciere, Gerard Beloin, Michael Anthony Callis, Randall Clark, Casey Crane, Robert D’Arcy, Bill Hamlen, William Harvey, Vikram Mansaramani, Jay Mercer, Jason Riddle, Lily Tang Williams, and Paul Wagner.

What voters need to know: NH races for governor, Congress get heated and personal

NH governor’s races for Democrats and Republicans

There is a contested primary in both the Republican and Democratic primaries for governor.

In the Republican primary, Kelly Ayotte and Chuck Morse lead a crowded field that includes Shaun Fife, Robert Wayne McClory, Richard A. McMenamon II, and Frank Negus Staples.

Whoever wins will face either Joyce Craig, Cinde Warmington, or Jon Kiper, all running in the Democratic primary, in November.

More: NH races for governor, Congress get heated and personal: What voters need to know

NH Executive Council

The Republican primary for Executive Council District 4, which includes Lee and Barrington, features six candidates: Terese Bastarache, Robert Burns, John Reagan, John Stephen, Ryan Terrell, and Ross Terrio. The winner will face Democrat Jim O’Connell in the general election.

Contested NH State Senate race in greater Seacoast

Bill Gannon and Emily Phillips are facing off in the Republican primary for State Senate District 23, which represents Brentwood, Chester, Danville, East Kingston, Epping, Fremont, Kensington, Kingston, Newton, Sandown, Seabrook, and South Hampton. The winner will meet Democrat Brenda Oldak in the November election in a heavily Republican district.

Contested NH House races in greater Seacoast

There are several contested state representative primary races.

In Rockingham County District 6 (Brentwood), Allen Cook and Thaddeus Paul Riley are facing off in the Republican primary for who will take on incumbent Democratic Rep. Eric Turer in November.

In Rockingham County District 32 (Brentwood, Danville, Fremont), Republicans Melissa Litchfield and Scott Wallace are competing for the nomination to face Democrat Diana West.

More: Brentwood Republicans face off in two competitive NH House primaries

In Rockingham County District 10 (Newfields, Newmarket), Democrats Michael Cahill, Ellen Read, Lela Porter Love, and Toni Weinstein are running for three spots. Those who advance will appear on the November ballot with one Republican candidate, Jeanene Cooper.

More: Democratic voters in Newmarket, Newfields have 4 choices for 3 spots in NH House primary

In Rockingham County District 11 (Exeter), Linda Haskins, Julie Gilman, Gaby Grossman, Mark Paige, and Katrina Heinrich are running for four spots in the Democratic primary. The winners will face Republicans Robert Goeman, Brian Griset, and William Smith.

More: Exeter voters: to choose from 5 Democrats running for 4 NH House seats

In Rockingham County District 29 (Hampton), the Republican primary features Nicholas Bridle, David Hagen, Ken Sheffert, Bruce Theriault, and George Attar. The four candidates who garner the most votes will compete against Chris Muns, Mike Edgar, Alan Scott Blair, and Erica de Vries in the general election.

In Rockingham County District 40 (Hampton, Seabrook), Linda McGrath and Richard Sawyer are facing off in the Republican primary. Whoever comes out on top will run against Democrat John Patrick Carty in the general election.

In Rockingham County District 30 (Seabrook), Republicans William Fowler, Jason Janvrin, Aboul Khan, and Matt Sabourin are running for two spots. The winners will face Democrats Bob Albright and Justin Gregory Packard in November.

More: Hampton and Seabrook Republicans face off in competitive NH House primaries

In Strafford County District 10 (Durham), Timothy Horrigan, Loren Selig, Marjorie Smith, Wayne Burton, and Gale Bailey are running for four seats. There are no Republicans running, so the four winners will be unopposed in November.

More: Durham has 5 Democrats to choose from for 4 seats in NH House

In Strafford County District 11 (Dover Ward 4, Madbury, Lee), Democrats Erik Johnson, Thomas Southworth, and Janet Wall are running for three spots in the primary. It is no longer a contested primary after fourth candidate Andrew Kennedy suspended his campaign, but he will still appear on the ballot due to his late exit. They will face Republicans Joe Bazo, Denis Grenier, and Bill Taylor in the general election in November.

More: NH House candidate in Dover area who faced police investigation drops out of race

In Strafford County District 15 (Dover Ward 2), Alice Wade and Lucas Veitch are vying for the Democratic nomination. Whoever wins will face Republican Keith Mistretta.

More: Alice Wade, Lucas Veitch compete for Dover Ward 2 state rep Democratic nomination

In Strafford County District 19 (Rochester Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 6), Daniel Fitzpatrick, John Larochelle, Melena Lugo, and Seph Warren are competing in the Democratic primary. The three who advance to the November primary will be running against Republicans Kelley Potenza, David Walker, and Jenny Wilson.

More: What Rochester voters need to know about 4 Democrats in NH House primary

Strafford County sheriff

Three Democrats seeking to become the next Strafford County sheriff nominee are competing in the primary: Steven Bourque, Tracy Hayes, and Kathryn Mone. Voters will decide which will be on the ballot in November against Republican Scott Tingle.

More: Here are 3 Democrats running for Strafford County sheriff

Republican Kelly Ayotte wasn’t on the debate stage Friday, but New Hampshire’s Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls mentioned her by name at least a dozen times.

Though six Republicans are seeking the GOP nomination in Tuesday’s primary, Ayotte has led in polls and fundraising, making her the target of the three Democrats who appeared in a debate a New England College. Former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington and restaurant owner Jon Kiper mentioned her name at least a dozen times, either touting their ability to beat her in the general election or warning that she would be bad for the state.

“Kelly Ayotte was the only senator in New England who voted against universal background checks after 20 children were gunned down at Sandy Hook,” Warmington said in explaining her support for gun safety measures including universal background checks and waiting periods for gun buyers and a ban on military-style weapons in the wake of this week’s school shooting in Georgia.

Craig said she also would support such legislation and described efforts she undertook as mayor, including implementing a gun violence prevention strategy and an app that allows teachers to summon help quickly in an emergency.

“We have to be thinking about both fronts, moving forward with legislation and what can we do to prevent this and protect families in our state,” she said. “There is nothing more important.”

Kiper, however, emphasized that gun violence is rare in New Hampshire and said he would focus his efforts on ensuring dangerous, mentally ill people didn’t have access to guns and protecting those at risk of domestic violence. He also parted ways with the other two candidates in refusing to take the state’s traditional pledge against a general sales or income tax. He said both need to be on the table to pay for schools and noted that he both collects a rooms and meals tax at his restaurant and pays a type of income tax, the business enterprise tax.

“Frankly it is a slap in the face to every restaurant owner in this state to say there’s no sales or income tax,” he said. “Those things exist, they provide income for the state, and the state could not function without them.”

The candidates largely agreed on most policy issues, though Craig and Warmington criticized each others’ backgrounds during a discussion of the state’s opioid crisis. Warmington once was a lobbyist for Purdue Pharma, the makers of OxyContin, but she says it was before the true dangers of the drug and the company’s deceitful marketing were fully known.

“To cherry pick my work is completely misleading,” said Warmington, who suggested that Craig has profited from the opioid crisis because her husband is a lawyer whose firm defended drug traffickers.

“My opponent is bringing my husband into this election because she can’t stand by her full record,” Craig responded. “I stand my by record, and I know the challenges that our local communities are facing when it comes to opioids.”

Kiper, who has lagged behind Craig and Warmington, later insisted that he is the only candidate who can appeal to younger, independent voters.

“The reality is that it’s going to be very hard for Cinde and Joyce to beat Kelly Ayotte for reasons that really are not their fault, but the people that are going to decide this election are going to hear ‘lobbied for Purdue Pharma,’ and they’re going to vote for Kelly. They’re going to see videos of homeless people in Manchester, and they’re going to vote for Kelly Ayotte,” he said. “What I can offer you is that I do not have decades of political baggage.”

FILE – The New Hampshire statehouse is pictured, June 2, 2019, in Concord. (AP Photo/Holly Ramer, File)

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