New Hampshire voters selected their parties’ nominees for federal and statewide offices on Sept. 8, setting up general election contests for the U.S. Senate, governor and both of the state’s congressional districts. Statewide results are available through the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office.
In Hanover, voters cast 1,553 Democratic ballots and 171 Republican ballots, for a total of 1,724 votes. Democratic voters favored Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H. for Senate and Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H. for the 2nd Congressional District, while Republican voters backed former Sen. John E. Sununu and repeat candidate Lily Tang Williams in the same races, respectively.
Hanover town clerk Tracy Walsh wrote in an email statement to The Dartmouth that the town does not track which voters are Dartmouth students but said student turnout was “likely low.”
“The upperclass students were generally not on campus and members of the Class of 2030 were in orientation,” Walsh wrote.
The primary was the first statewide election since New Hampshire stopped accepting student IDs as proof of citizenship or residence to register or receive a ballot on Election Day on June 2.
New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan said in an interview with The Dartmouth that he was “not aware” of any registration problems related to the identification change.
“Students that went to vote, for the most part, had an alternative ID that they were able to use,” Scanlan said.
In an interview with The Dartmouth, Scanlan said he had anticipated a “high-normal turnout” for a midterm state primary.
“I was originally expecting around 28%,” Scanlan said. “I think the turnout was closer to 30% overall.”
The New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office has not released a final statewide turnout percentage at the time of publication, and was not able to provide information on how many voters lacked the required identification or documentation, used an affidavit or were unable to cast a ballot.
“All of the information from the election is going to get recorded in the statewide voter registration database,” Scanlan? said. “That will take a little bit of time after the election.”
“The primary election ran very smoothly from my perspective,” he added.
The results also established the races Dartmouth-area voters will decide in November. Hanover and the College are located in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District, where Goodlander received 1,328 Hanover votes to state Rep. Paige Beauchemin’s 197. Tang Williams received 85 votes, while her three Republican opponents received a combined 61.
Goodlander and Tang Williams’s face-off in the general election will be a rematch of the 2024 general election.
In a written statement to The Dartmouth, Tang Williams said her message to 2nd District voters is: “I answer exclusively to you.”
“What is truly at stake in November is whether we reclaim our government from special interests and return it to the people,” Tang Williams said. “I will always be an independent voice for New Hampshire.”
Goodlander framed the general election as especially consequential for younger voters.
“This fight matters most for the next generation: Students at Dartmouth and across New Hampshire will inherit whatever we build now, from the cost of a first apartment to the health of our democracy itself,” Goodlander wrote in an email statement to The Dartmouth.
Beyond the 2nd District, the primary finalized the contest to replace retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. Pappas won the Democratic nomination with approximately 63% of the vote, while Sununu secured the Republican nomination with approximately 69%.
In his election-night speech, Pappas said his campaign would spend the eight weeks before the general election reaching voters throughout the state.
“We’re going to knock on every door,” Pappas said. “We’re going to reach voters in every single community. We’re going to talk to every Granite Stater we can.”
Sununu campaign spokesperson Mike Schrimpf said the primary showed that voters “value John’s record as an independent voice for New Hampshire.” He said Sununu’s general election campaign would focus on “the economy, jobs and bringing down the cost of living.”
“John has said he will have just one job as senator: to stand up for the people of New Hampshire every single day,” Schrimpf wrote.
While both parties held contested Senate primaries, only the Republican side of the gubernatorial race was contested. Former executive councilor Cinde Warmington advanced unopposed as the Democratic nominee, while incumbent Gov. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., defeated two Republican challengers.
“This November, Granite Staters will turn the page on Kelly Ayotte’s record of higher costs and caving to Donald Trump by electing Cinde Warmington as New Hampshire’s next governor,” Warmington campaign spokesperson Jon Levin wrote in a statement to The Dartmouth.
Ayotte’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
Pappas’s Senate campaign left an open seat in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District. Stefany Shaheen — daughter of U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. — narrowly defeated former Marine captain Maura Sullivan for the Democratic nomination and will face Republican nominee Anthony DiLorenzo.
In an email statement to The Dartmouth, Shaheen credited her victory to a coalition of labor unions, small business owners, veterans and community leaders.
“Voters made it clear that they want a representative in Congress who will prioritize New Hampshire over special interests to deliver real change,” Shaheen wrote.
With the ballot set for the general election on Nov. 3, Scanlan said his office would continue educating students, other voters and poll workers about the new requirements. He encouraged voters who need to register or request an absentee ballot to begin early.
“Don’t wait until the last minute to request and expect to get an absentee ballot and be able to get it back to your town clerk,” Scanlan said. “If it is at all possible, plan ahead for those things.”
Isabel Menna ‘29 is a reporter from Leavenworth, Wash., is majoring in economics and is a member of the Dartmouth Ski Patrol.
