Concord Democrat Cinde Warmington will see familiar faces around the table in the Executive Council chambers during the next two years as all five incumbents were reelected, solidifying the 4-1 partisan divide for another term.
“Once again, I am humbled by the outpouring of support I have received tonight,” Warmington said in a statement. “Since my first day on the Executive Council, I have fought for the people of New Hampshire and I am proud to have delivered real results.”
Warmington, the only Democrat on the council, beat Republican Harold French with about 60% of the votes.
Joseph Kenney won in a close race with 51% of the votes compared to 49% for Dana Hilliard, while Janet Stevens beat Katherine Harake with about 55% of the votes. In other close races, Republicans Ted Gatsas and Dave Wheeler defeated their respective Democratic challengers Kevin Cavanaugh and Shoshanna Kelly by a margin of 52% to 48% in each race.
New Hampshire’s five-member Executive Council provides a check on the power of the New Hampshire governor and allows for citizen input into the spending and execution of government activities.
In recent years, the council has become a hot seat for political battles. The current council denied family planning contracts with providers like Planned Parenthood and held up millions of federal dollars to bolster the state’s vaccination efforts, out of concern it would force the state to adopt federal vaccination mandates, among other things. Recently, the council tabled a contract for sex education, stalling established programs in Manchester and Claremont.
“Extremism has no place in our state,” Warmington said in a statement Wednesday. “I will continue to be the voice of reason for all Granite Staters in Concord over the next two years.”