For the first time in five decades, the New Hampshire legislature elected a new Secretary of State.
David Scanlan, who was appointed to fill the role since the sudden retirement of Bill Gardner in January, will serve a full two-year term, winning the contest 237-175 against challenger Melanie Levesque, a former State Senator.
It was one of many votes on organization day in the State House as a new Legislature got ready to begin its work. Gov.Chris Sununu and the Executive Council swore in newly elected House and Senate members, who then got to work voting for party leaders and deciding how to resolve a tied race in Rochester that would determine the house’s 400th member.
Jeb Bradley, a Wolfeboro Republican, was unanimously elected Senate President – filling the position left empty after Chuck Morse ran for the republican nominee for U.S. Senate this fall.
Rep. Sherman Packard, a Londondedrry Republican, will serve again as House speaker, after he defeated House Democratic Leader Matt Wilhelm, in a 205-184 vote.
For party leadership, the senate will see a new majority leader with Senator Sharon Carson, another Londonderry Republican.
“We look forward to empowering parents, expanding resources for our children, keeping our streets safe, and broadening the economic opportunities that allow Granite Staters to thrive,” Carson said in a statement. “Senator Bradley will serve as a phenomenal leader in achieving these goals, and I am proud to be on his leadership team to help drive this success.”
In the house, Rep. Jason Osborne, of Auburn, will remain as the majority leader.
Ahead of Wednesday’s vote, Scanlan, who served as deputy Secretary of State for two decades under Gardner, applauded the team he assembled to oversee the midterm election.
“I have really elevated the operating systems within the Department of State to the point that we’ve got a solid foundation and we’re ready to really move on building better systems that will help out our population,” he said in an interview Tuesday. “We’re trying to modernize and have systems that are responsive to the needs of our population.”
Levesque who previously chaired the Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee, campaigned on a platform that New Hampshire’s elections could be more modern – starting by increasing accessibility to elections with online or automatic voter registration.
With the house close to evenly divided, Scanlan’s appointment with 237 votes shows bipartisan support.
“The people of New Hampshire won today,” Sununu said in a statement following the vote. “Congratulations to Secretary of State Dave Scanlan on earning a full term as New Hampshire’s Secretary of State. Now, more than ever, we need Secretary of State Scanlan’s experienced leadership to defend, protect, and promote our First in the Nation Presidential Primary.”
The opening day of the 2023 legislative session will be January 4.