NH favors move of state primary up to June - but in 2028, not 2026

Yahoo

27-03-2025

With an open U.S. Senate seat offering the prospect of contested primaries in both parties, House and Senate Republicans agreed to put off until 2028 a bill to move the date of the state primary forward three months from September to June.
For years, the House of Representatives and Senate have been divided over where on the calendar to move the state's primary, which is held in September, making it one of the latest in the country.
Last year, the House approved moving it two weeks up into August while the Senate wanted to move it up to June.
House Election Laws Committee Chairman Ross Berry, R-Weare, said he could live with either option, but on Wednesday came up with a compromise.
Berry offered a floor amendment to a June primary bill (HB 481) to put the change off until Jan. 1, 2027.
This means it would not apply until the primary election in 2028, not the election next year that will decide who will replace retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
The House approved the change on an unrecorded vote of 337-1, and passed it on to the Senate.
Since Shaheen announced her decision two weeks, ago, leading Republicans and Democrats have revealed they are seriously considering a run to replace her.
Four-term U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., kicked off a 10-county tour — half of them not in his district — after publicly confirming he may get in. Many close to him insist his Senate bid now is a near certainty.
New U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., has refused to rule out her own bid for the Senate, though she's only three months on the job after succeeding six-term Rep. Annie Kuster.
In response, Kuster herself has said a Senate bid is also possible.
Kuster may not be pleased to see Goodlander considering a Senate bid after having just entered Congress.
In 2024, Kuster endorsed former Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern of Concord and starred in an attack ad against Goodlander as a carpetbagger who liberal Democrats could not trust.
Goodlander trounced Van Ostern in that primary.
Meanwhile, former Gov. Chris Sununu revealed that he's leaving the door 'ajar' that he could run for the U.S. Senate.
Sununu had dismissed seeking a job in Washington and passed on running against U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan in 2022.
The climate of cutting federal spending has prompted Sununu to consider a Senate bid, he said.
Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, who now lives in Rye, had already been moving toward seeking his own GOP Senate run next year.
Brown said recently he's been in contact with Sununu but also pointed out he might get more favor from President Donald Trump, who had named Brown ambassador to New Zealand during his first term.
Sununu toyed with a presidential run in 2023 and endorsed Trump's main rival for the 2024 nomination, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
'With the potential for these primaries, it just makes sense to move it out to the next cycle,' Berry said during an interview.
We should learn soon whether this new idea to delay has support in the upper chamber.
The state Senate is scheduled to debate on Thursday its own June primary bill (SB 222) that would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026 and apply to the next election.
Like Sununu before her, Gov. Kelly Ayotte said she supports moving the primary up to June in the future to give candidates running against incumbents more time to present their plans to voters.
Secretary of State David Scanlan said he favors the less significant move of the primary up to August.
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