Hudson voters heading to the polls next Tuesday will find relatively little competition among the candidates seeking local legislative seats, but the Sept. 8 state primary could still have significant implications for the town when voters return for the November general election.
New Hampshire’s state primary will be held Tuesday, Sept. 8, with polls open statewide from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. The primary will determine which Democratic and Republican candidates advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
For Hudson, the most competitive local contests are largely absent from the ballot. Instead, the primary will serve as an important step in selecting the candidates who will represent the town at the State House, State Senate and Executive Council next year.
Hudson shares New Hampshire Senate District 14 with Londonderry and Auburn. Republican Sen. Sharon Carson is seeking another term and faces no Republican primary challenger. Democrat Timothy Wyatt is also running unopposed for his party’s nomination.
The lack of a primary contest means both candidates are positioned to advance to the November election, where voters will decide who represents the three-town district in the Senate.
The Hudson House delegation is also facing a relatively quiet primary.
Hillsborough County District 13 has six seats, with six Republican candidates listed: incumbents Dillon Dumont, Catherine “Cathy” Kenny, Andrew Prout, Jeremy Slottje, Jordan G. Ulery and Robert James Wherry III. Because the number of Republican candidates matches the number of seats, there is no contested Republican primary for those seats.
The Democratic side includes Luan Baci, James Battis, Jim Caron and Kate Messner, along with independent candidate C. Mark DelSesto.
The candidates who emerge from the primary will have an opportunity to compete in November for seats in a Legislature that will be dealing with issues that directly affect Hudson taxpayers and residents, including education funding, property taxes, state aid to municipalities, housing, infrastructure and the state’s overall fiscal policy.
Hudson also has representation in the floterial Hillsborough County District 38. Republican incumbents Ralph Boehm and Adam Haverstock and Republican candidate Ted Trost are listed for the two-seat district, while Democrat Mahendra Bakshi is also seeking a seat.
One of the more important races on the Hudson ballot may be one that does not involve a Hudson resident directly.
Hudson is part of Executive Council District 5, along with other communities in the region. Democratic candidate Melanie Levesque is unopposed for her party’s nomination, while Republican incumbent Dave Wheeler is also running without a primary challenger.
The five-member Executive Council has an important role in state government. The council reviews and approves major state contracts, appointments and other expenditures, making its membership particularly relevant to communities that depend on state funding and programs.
While Hudson’s local legislative races are relatively settled, voters will encounter considerably more choices in the congressional contests.
Hudson is part of New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District, where Democratic incumbent Maggie Goodlander faces a primary challenge from Paige Beauchemin.
The Republican primary is more crowded, with candidates including Michael Anthony Callis, Dan Nicholson, Victor Orlando and Lily Tang Williams. The winner will advance to the November election.
The congressional races could draw more attention than the local legislative contests, particularly because the results will determine which candidates Hudson voters will see on the November ballot.
The primary also includes races for governor and U.S. Senate. Democrat Cinde Warmington is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, while two Republicans are competing for their party’s nomination over incumbent Kelly Ayotte.
The U.S. Senate field is also crowded on both sides of the political aisle.
For Hudson voters, therefore, the primary is less about choosing between competing local candidates and more about determining which candidates will advance to what could be a much more competitive November election.
The New Hampshire Secretary of State lists Sept. 8 as the state primary date, with the general election scheduled for Nov. 3.
With several local seats effectively decided before voters enter the voting booth, the primary’s biggest impact on Hudson may ultimately come from the statewide and congressional races – and from which candidates emerge to shape the political debate heading into the fall.
