The incumbent mayor of one New Hampshire city already lost her bid for reelection this fall, and more might soon follow, as voters head to the polls Tuesday for municipal elections in 11 of the state’s 13 cities.
Franklin Mayor Desiree McLaughlin, who lost her job to challenger Glenn Morrill in their city’s Oct. 8 election, will leave office in December. With six more incumbent mayors facing challengers on Tuesday and three opting not to seek reelection, the state’s slate of mayors may look quite different come January.
Here are the six incumbents facing challengers:
- Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais is up against Jessica Spillers, who currently sits on the city’s Board of School Committee. Their contest is nominally nonpartisan, though Ruais and Spillers have publicly aligned themselves with the Republicans and Democrats, respectively — so the outcome could shape broader political narratives about New Hampshire voter sentiments ahead of next year’s state and federal elections.
- Concord Mayor Byron Champlin is facing a challenge from former school board member Kate West. Their showdown is a rematch from 2023, when Champlin won handily, with the departing mayor’s endorsement.
- Keene Mayor Jay Kahn is looking to fend off a challenge from Bradford “Bill” Hutchinson, whom The Keene Sentinel described as a perennial candidate.
- Portsmouth Mayor Deaglan McEachern is among 18 candidates seeking nine seats on the City Council. The top vote-getter in that citywide race will serve as mayor.
- Claremont Mayor Dale Girard is facing a challenge from James Campos.
- Somersworth Mayor Matt Gerding is facing a challenge from Kitara Maxey.
These are the three mayoral races in cities where incumbents opted not to seek reelection:
- In Dover, deputy mayor Dennis Shanahan and former state representative Shawn Mickelonis are competing for the top job after the incumbent, Bob Carrier, opted not to run again.
- In Rochester, there is a four-way race — among Douglas Robbins, Chuck Grassie, Peter Lachapelle, and Matt Mayberry — after the incumbent, Paul Callaghan, decided not to seek another term.
- In Laconia, where former mayor Andrew Hosmer recently left to take a city manager job in Lebanon, the mayoral candidates left standing after a primary election are Mike Bordes and Bruce Cheney.
In Berlin, incumbent Mayor Robert Cone is the only mayoral candidate listed on the ballot. (His city also has a special election for a state representative seat.)
In Nashua, there is a municipal election on Tuesday, but no mayoral race. The city uses four-year terms, and incumbent Mayor Jim Donchess won reelection in 2023.
There is no municipal election on Tuesday in Lebanon, where Doug Whittlesey began serving as mayor this year, because that city’s 2025 municipal election occurred back in March.
Unsure about your voter registration status? Use the secretary of state’s voter information lookup tool or check with your municipal clerk’s office. Keep in mind that the documentation requirements for those newly registering to vote have recently changed.
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Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.
