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Voters will pick new mayors in up to nine New Hampshire cities on Tuesday – The Boston Globe

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Voters will pick new mayors in up to nine New Hampshire cities on Tuesday – The Boston Globe


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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Keene Mayor Jay Kahn is looking to fend off a challenge from Bradford “Bill” Hutchinson, whom The Keene Sentinel described as a perennial candidate.
  4. 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.
  5. Claremont Mayor Dale Girard is facing a challenge from James Campos.
  6. 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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

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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.


This story appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. To receive it via email Monday through Friday,sign up here.


Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.





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New Hampshire

Missing motorcyclist found dead after crash in Shelburne, NH

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Missing motorcyclist found dead after crash in Shelburne, NH


A New Hampshire motorcyclist who had been missing since the Fourth of July was found dead in Shelburne late Thursday night.

State police say they received a request from the Berlin Police Department just after 7:30 p.m. Thursday for help locating 41-year-old Wesley Grondin — the Berlin man was last seen riding his motorcycle on Saturday, July 4, and had been reported missing.

Troopers received a call a couple of hours later, around 10:10 p.m. Thursday, from a concerned resident who had been out looking for Grondin along Route 2 in Shelburne. The person told police they had found Grondin dead, along with his Harley Davidson.

According to state police, a preliminary investigation determined that Grondin was riding his Harley on Route 2 westbound in Shelburne when, for reasons that remain under investigation, he crossed over into the opposing lane, struck a post, and came to a final rest in the wood line.

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The crash is believed to have occurred just before midnight on July 4. At this time, police say there’s no indication that another vehicle or person was involved.

All aspects of the crash remain under investigation, however. Anyone with information that may assist investigators is asked to contact Trooper Hunter Newsham at Hunter.P.Newsham@dos.nh.gov.



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Nashua, NH, woman jailed for falsifying marriage to claim late man’s estate

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Nashua, NH, woman jailed for falsifying marriage to claim late man’s estate


KEENE, N.H. — A Nashua woman who had a town clerk falsely certify a marriage that never happened so she could claim her late partner’s property has been sentenced to seven days in jail, placed on probation and ordered to repay thousands to his estate.

Attorney General John Formella said Wendy Leedberg‑Snow, 60, turned to Winchester Town Clerk Jim Tetreault after the death of her longtime partner, Eric Leedberg — who was born in Lowell — using the falsified license to pose as his spouse and lay claim to property from his estate, an effort prosecutors describe as an attempt to rewrite the couple’s history for financial gain.

“This case involved a deliberate effort to manipulate official government records and exploit the death of a loved one for personal financial gain,” Formella said in a press release announcing the sentencing. “Our vital records system depends on honesty and integrity, and those who seek to corrupt that system will be held accountable. I want to thank the investigators and prosecutors whose work ensured justice for the victim’s family.”

According to Leedberg’s obituary, he was 53 when he died on Oct. 12, 2023, following a two‑year battle with cancer.

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In the obituary, Leedberg-Snow is described as his “significant other.”

Prosecutors said Leedberg‑Snow moved quickly after his death, relying on Tetreault’s signature to fabricate a marriage that never occurred and position herself as Leedberg’s surviving spouse.

Tetreault, who was a New Hampshire justice of the peace at the time, falsely signed the marriage license claiming he had officiated the couple’s wedding. He later admitted he never performed any ceremony for Leedberg‑Snow and Leedberg and had no personal knowledge of them ever being married.

Leedberg‑Snow used the fraudulent certificate to obtain property from Leedberg’s estate, including a pickup truck and trailer, and later attempted to influence a witness connected to the scheme.

Leedberg‑Snow pleaded guilty in Cheshire County Superior Court in Keene to felony counts of solicitation to commit vital records fraud, title fraud, theft by misapplication of property and witness tampering.

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In addition to her seven‑day jail term, she must serve two years of probation, pay $4,600 in restitution, return the truck and trailer to Leedberg’s estate and comply with a suspended three‑and‑a‑half‑ to seven‑year prison sentence, which means the sentence only takes effect if she violates the conditions of her probation.

Tetreault, who continues to serve as Winchester’s town clerk and “fully cooperated with the State’s investigation,” according to prosecutors, pleaded guilty in April to notarial misconduct, a Class A misdemeanor. As part of a negotiated plea, prosecutors dropped a felony charge of vital records fraud. He was sentenced to 90 days in the house of corrections, all suspended for two years on good behavior, and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus a $240 penalty assessment.

He resigned his commissions as a justice of the peace and bail commissioner and agreed not to seek recommissioning as a justice of the peace or notary public during the two‑year suspension period.

Tetreault could not be reached for comment at his office number.

Follow Aaron Curtis on X @aselahcurtis, or on Bluesky @aaronscurtis.bsky.social.

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Rescue Crews Help Injured Woman Off Mt. Washington

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Rescue Crews Help Injured Woman Off Mt. Washington


SARGENT’S PURCHASE – On Saturday, personnel from multiple rescue crews teamed up to help an injured woman get off of Mt. Washington to seek medical treatment.

At approximately 7:45 AM, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Conservation Officers were notified that a staff member at the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) Lakes of the Clouds Hut had taken a serious fall at the hut and was left unable to walk.

Fish and Game subsequently mobilized search and rescue personnel to come and help evacuate the young woman from her remote location.

By 10:00 AM, members of the Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue Team (AVSAR), Pemigewassett Valley Search and Rescue Team (Pemi), AMC and Fish and Game had gathered at the Base Station of the Cog Rail. The Cog Railway generously donated room on their trains, and rescuers and equipment were given rides up Mt. Washington to the West Side Trail, which allowed for a shorter and less strenuous 1.6 mile hike than other routes.

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By 11:20 AM rescuers were at the hut with the patient. The patient was subsequently packaged in a litter and prepared for an overland carryout back to the Cog tracks.

Rescue personnel made steady progress, and by 2:15 PM had made it back across West Side Trail and to the train tracks. A Cog Railway train picked up the whole rescue party and brought everyone back down the mountain. Once roadside, the patient was evaluated by personnel from Twin Mountain Fire and Rescue.

She was ultimately driven from the scene by a friend and went to Memorial Hospital in North Conway for further evaluation
and treatment of multiple injuries related to her fall. The patient was identified as Cali Turner, 26, of Willimantic, Maine.

Fish and Game would like to thank all of the people and organizations involved in this rescue effort. Through the help of everyone, the rescue was a great success and got done in a timely manner.

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