In his 20 years as a state representative, Steve Shurtleff has been minority leader, majority leader, house speaker and his current title of speaker emeritus — the first New Hampshire representative to hold all four positions, according to the house speaker’s office.

This fall, the Penacook legislator, also a former Concord city councilor, will change posts again when he retires his seat in the State House.

“Obviously, I can’t keep a job,” he quipped in an interview Wednesday.

Looking to downshift and spend more time with family — with a granddaughter enrolling at Merrimack College — Shurtleff will instead seek election to the three-member Merrimack County Commission.

“I’ve been so fortunate — I’ve had a lot of wonderful years in the legislature; made a lot of good friends on both sides,” he said. “The county commissioners, regardless of political party, work together for the common good. And I want to, obviously, see that continued.”

Over two decades, Shurtleff has sponsored more bills than he can count — but he’s most proud of his first, he said, and still holding out hope for his last.

Most recently, he sponsored a bill to require those facing felony charges for 15 or more years in prison to appear in court for the verdict and sentencing in their case. The bill was spurred by Adam Montgomery’s absence from court for almost all of his trial and for his conviction in the murder of his five-year-old daughter, Harmony.

The bill passed the House but has been tabled in the Senate.

“That’s my only disappointment,” he said. “But I’m hoping maybe something positive will come out of it.”

In 2005, the first legislation Shurtleff sponsored allowed New Hampshire children who had a parent die in active-duty military service to receive up to four years of free tuition at any state college, university or community college. As a veteran of the Vietnam War, it’s always been close to his heart.

As he departs state politics, Shurtleff emphasized the importance of collaborating and forming friendships with lawmakers across the political spectrum. The work he was most proud of — including both his first and last bills — won support from Republicans, and the growing negativity and polarization he’s noticed among his fellow lawmakers worries him.

Especially as policy debates get heated, it’s easy to assume you won’t like someone on the other side of the aisle, Shurtleff said. “But you’d be surprised how much you have in common.”

Among those friendships he’s built is one with the current house speaker, Sherman Packard.

“He’s a good friend. Although we belong to different parties, I’ve had tremendous respect for Sherm Packard,” he said. “And I want to see that more in government.”

Packard said it’s been a pleasure working alongside Shurtleff. 

“I want to express my sincere gratitude for Speaker Emeritus Shurtleff’s dedicated service,” Packard said in a statement. “I would like to thank him for his friendship, his tireless efforts, his service as a Vietnam veteran, and his commitment to making New Hampshire a better place for all its residents.”

While he’s starting a new chapter, Shurtleff isn’t done with government service, filing for the seat on the county commission being vacated by Tara Reardon, a former state representative, who is challenging two other capital-area Democrats in the race to succeed state Senator Becky Whitley. Shurtleff had considered county service for some time, he said, and Reardon’s announcement came as a sign.

Shurtleff has worked closely with the county commission as a member of the executive committee for the delegation. In county government, commissioners serve as legislators, including drafting the county budget, and the delegation — made up of all state representatives in the county — gives final approval.

If elected, Shurtleff said he’d focus on finding solutions to the nursing shortage at the county nursing home and work to interrupt cycles of recidivism by getting better services, including education and counseling, to inmates at the county jail.

For now, he’s finishing his last weeks in the statehouse as the House and Senate conference on bills they’ve each amended.

“For 20 years, Steve Shurtleff has tirelessly served his neighbors and all Granite Staters in the New Hampshire House of Representatives,” Democratic Minority Leader Matt Wilhelm said in a statement. “As his seatmate last term, I’m grateful for Steve’s friendship and tireless commitment to the people of our state, and I wish him the best of luck in this new chapter of public service.”