Name: Republican Boyd wins NH House seat in closely-watched Merrimack special election
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Republican Boyd wins NH House seat in closely-watched Merrimack special election

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AdvertisementTown councilor defeats former state Rep. Thomas to keep seat formerly held by the late Speaker Hinch in GOP columnRepublican Boyd wins NH House seat in closely-watched Merrimack special electionTown councilor defeats former state Rep. Thomas to keep seat formerly held by the late Speaker Hinch in GOP columnHide TranscriptShow TranscriptTOM: OK, IN COMMITMENT 2021, REPUBLICANS WILL HOLD ONTO THE STATE HOUSE SEAT VACATED BY THE DEATH OF FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER DICK HINCH. FORMER MERRIMACK TOWN COUNCILOR BILL BOYD BEAT DEMOCRATIC FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE WENDY THOMAS BY ABOUT 400 VOTES IN TODAY’S SPECIAL ELECTION TURNOUT APPEARS TO BE HIGHER THAN EXPECTED, WITH THE TOWN RUNNING OUT OF THE 4,000 MACHINE BALLOTS AROUND 6:00. FOR THE FINAL HOUR OF VOTIAdvertisementRepublican Boyd wins NH House seat in closely-watched Merrimack special electionTown councilor defeats former state Rep. Thomas to keep seat formerly held by the late Speaker Hinch in GOP columnThe New Hampshire House seat left vacant by the death of House Speaker Dick Hinch will remain in the Republican column.Voters in Merrimack on Tuesday chose Town Councilor Bill Boyd over Democratic former state Rep. Wendy Thomas in a special election that coincided with the town elections. Hinch died of COVID-19 in December, shortly after being named speaker by a vote of the full House. As WMUR reported on Twitter, the results, confirmed by town officials, showed Boyd with 2,531 votes and Thomas with 2,144 votes. Independent candidate Stephen Hollenberg received 104 votes. Boyd’s margin of victory was 52.6 percent to 44.5 percent for Thomas.With 4,813 total votes cast, turnout was about 21 percent of the 22,667 registered voters in the town as of the Nov. 3, 2020 general election, according to checklist figures on file with the Secretary of State’s Office.The turnout was huge by special election standards, reflecting the enthusiasm on both sides.Town moderator Lynn Christensen told WMUR the town exhausted its supply of about 4,000 machine ballots at about 6 p.m. and paper ballots were used for the final hour of voting. She said those 889 paper ballots had to be hand-counted after the machine ballots were tallied. Registrations in Merrimack favored Republicans, although undeclared voters represent the largest voting bloc, about 40 percent. Boyd’s win boosts the Republican majority in the 400-member House to 213-186, with another special election to fill the remaining seat, representing Dunbarton and Bow, scheduled for a primary on April 20 and a general election on June 8.Boyd said he was humbled by the victory and paid special tribute to Hinch and the late Speaker’s family. “They will always be in my mind, my heart and my prayers,” he said.He also thanked his opponents for “elevating the level of discourse, and I hope that they stay involved in the community.”Thomas, meanwhile, said, “Tonight is not the end but simply the beginning.”“I am, as I have been my entire life, a fighter of what is right and good. Whether it is standing up for racial justice, fighting for clean water and clean air, or ensuring access to affordable health care, I am in this battle for the people of Merrimack.” Although the election was confined to Merrimack and revolved around local issues, it received statewide attention and even a measure of national attention. As the first special election of 2021, it was viewed as a test of the voter reaction to Gov. Chris Sununu’s performance so far in his third term and to the Republican agenda being carried out by the party’s majorities at the State House.But Republicans from beyond New Hampshire also tried to frame the race on national terms – as a commentary on the agenda of President Joe Biden and the Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate.Boyd’s candidacy drew potential two 2024 GOP presidential candidates – former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas – to appear as featured guests at fundraisers organized by 2020 congressional candidate Matt Mowers and the state Republican Party.The campaign was believed to be the most expensive special election in state history.Thomas benefitted from independent expenditures totaling about $30,000 from the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, a Washington-based group focused on electing Democrats to state legislatures.Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire made $12,357 in independent expenditures for Boyd.The candidates themselves raised big money for a House race. Boyd’s most recent public report showed receipts of $15,000 while Thomas raised twice that amount – more than $30,000.Reactions pour in from key leaders of both partiesAfter results were announced, congratulations and tributes poured in for both major candidates.Sununu congratulated Boyd on Twitter, writing that "no one works harder."State Republican Party Chair Stephen Stepanek paid tribute not only to candidate Boyd, but also to the governor, the NHGOP staff and groups who helped reach out to voters.“I want to thank Bill Boyd for stepping up to run to represent the citizens of Merrimack," Stepanek said. "I want to thank Gov. Chris Sununu, the House Republican PAC and all of the New Hampshire groups who helped us. And thanks to my great staff, Joe Sweeney, D.J. Burke and Maya Harvey. “This victory is a great testament to my good friend, Speaker Dick Hinch. Rep.-elect Bill Boyd knows he has big shoes to fill and I know he will do that and make Speaker Hinch and Merrimack proud.”House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, chair of the Committee to Elect House Republicans, said: "Losing in Merrimack was never an option, and we had a tall order against liberal, deep-pocket, out of state special interests that attempted to buy the election. We set out to ensure Speaker Hinch's seat remained in Republican hands, we remained united, and committed to our goal."For the last decade Bill has advocated for his constituents on the town council, and he will bring that same energy and enthusiasm to Concord to continue the fight on behalf of Merrimack."Meanwhile, New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley said in a statement: "Merrimack is a traditionally Republican town, and the fact that Wendy Thomas came so close to victory shows just how strong our Democratic values are in red areas across the state. I want to congratulate Wendy on a well-run campaign that brought in support from Granite Staters who believe in her values fighting for health care, clean water and small businesses. Wendy took on an important fight, and we’re proud of what she accomplished in the continued journey to turn Merrimack blue.”And Rep. Matt Wilhelm, chair of the Committee to Elect House Democrat, said: “In a traditionally Republican-held seat, Wendy Thomas made waves tonight by garnering thousands of votes with her mission of holding corporate polluters accountable, increasing access to affordable health care, and supporting Merrimack’s small businesses. Congratulations to her on an incredible grassroots campaign."The New Hampshire House seat left vacant by the death of House Speaker Dick Hinch will remain in the Republican column.Voters in Merrimack on Tuesday chose Town Councilor Bill Boyd over Democratic former state Rep. Wendy Thomas in a special election that coincided with the town elections. Hinch died of COVID-19 in December, shortly after being named speaker by a vote of the full House.AdvertisementAs on Twitter, the results, confirmed by town officials, showed Boyd with 2,531 votes and Thomas with 2,144 votes. Independent candidate Stephen Hollenberg received 104 votes. Boyd’s margin of victory was 52.6 percent to 44.5 percent for Thomas.With 4,813 total votes cast, turnout was about 21 percent of the 22,667 registered voters in the town as of the Nov. 3, 2020 general election, according to checklist figures on file with the Secretary of State’s Office.The turnout was huge by special election standards, reflecting the enthusiasm on both sides.Town moderator Lynn Christensen told WMUR the town exhausted its supply of about 4,000 machine ballots at about 6 p.m. and paper ballots were used for the final hour of voting. She said those 889 paper ballots had to be hand-counted after the machine ballots were tallied.Registrations in Merrimack favored Republicans, although undeclared voters represent the largest voting bloc, about 40 percent. Boyd’s win boosts the Republican majority in the 400-member House to 213-186, with another special election to fill the remaining seat, representing Dunbarton and Bow, scheduled for a primary on April 20 and a general election on June 8.Boyd said he was humbled by the victory and paid special tribute to Hinch and the late Speaker’s family. “They will always be in my mind, my heart and my prayers,” he said.He also thanked his opponents for “elevating the level of discourse, and I hope that they stay involved in the community.”Thomas, meanwhile, said, “Tonight is not the end but simply the beginning.”“I am, as I have been my entire life, a fighter of what is right and good. Whether it is standing up for racial justice, fighting for clean water and clean air, or ensuring access to affordable health care, I am in this battle for the people of Merrimack.”Although the election was confined to Merrimack and revolved around local issues, it received statewide attention and even a measure of national attention. As the first special election of 2021, it was viewed as a test of the voter reaction to Gov. Chris Sununu’s performance so far in his third term and to the Republican agenda being carried out by the party’s majorities at the State House.But Republicans from beyond New Hampshire also tried to frame the race on national terms – as a commentary on the agenda of President Joe Biden and the Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate.Boyd’s candidacy drew potential two 2024 GOP presidential candidates – former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas – to appear as featured guests at fundraisers organized by and the state Republican Party.The campaign was believed to be the most expensive special election in state history.Thomas benefitted from independent expenditures totaling about $30,000 from the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, a Washington-based group focused on electing Democrats to state legislatures. made $12,357 in independent expenditures for Boyd.The candidates themselves raised big money for a House race. Boyd’s most recent public report showed receipts of $15,000 while Thomas raised twice that amount – more than $30,000.Reactions pour in from key leaders of both partiesAfter results were announced, congratulations and tributes poured in for both major candidates.Sununu congratulated Boyd , writing that "no one works harder."State Republican Party Chair Stephen Stepanek not only to candidate Boyd, but also to the governor, the NHGOP staff and groups who helped reach out to voters.“I want to thank Bill Boyd for stepping up to run to represent the citizens of Merrimack," Stepanek said. "I want to thank Gov. Chris Sununu, the House Republican PAC and all of the New Hampshire groups who helped us. And thanks to my great staff, Joe Sweeney, D.J. Burke and Maya Harvey. “This victory is a great testament to my good friend, Speaker Dick Hinch. Rep.-elect Bill Boyd knows he has big shoes to fill and I know he will do that and make Speaker Hinch and Merrimack proud.”House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, chair of the Committee to Elect House Republicans, said: "Losing in Merrimack was never an option, and we had a tall order against liberal, deep-pocket, out of state special interests that attempted to buy the election. We set out to ensure Speaker Hinch's seat remained in Republican hands, we remained united, and committed to our goal."For the last decade Bill has advocated for his constituents on the town council, and he will bring that same energy and enthusiasm to Concord to continue the fight on behalf of Merrimack."Meanwhile, New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley said in a statement: "Merrimack is a traditionally Republican town, and the fact that Wendy Thomas came so close to victory shows just how strong our Democratic values are in red areas across the state. I want to congratulate Wendy on a well-run campaign that brought in support from Granite Staters who believe in her values fighting for health care, clean water and small businesses. Wendy took on an important fight, and we’re proud of what she accomplished in the continued journey to turn Merrimack blue.”And Rep. Matt Wilhelm, chair of the Committee to Elect House Democrat, said: “In a traditionally Republican-held seat, Wendy Thomas made waves tonight by garnering thousands of votes with her mission of holding corporate polluters accountable, increasing access to affordable health care, and supporting Merrimack’s small businesses. Congratulations to her on an incredible grassroots campaign."Loading more articles...

AdvertisementTown councilor defeats former state Rep. Thomas to keep seat formerly held by the late Speaker Hinch in GOP columnRepublican Boyd wins NH House seat in closely-watched Merrimack special electionTown councilor defeats former state Rep. Thomas to keep seat formerly held by the late Speaker Hinch in GOP columnHide TranscriptShow TranscriptTOM: OK, IN COMMITMENT 2021, REPUBLICANS WILL HOLD ONTO THE STATE HOUSE SEAT VACATED BY THE DEATH OF FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER DICK HINCH. FORMER MERRIMACK TOWN COUNCILOR BILL BOYD BEAT DEMOCRATIC FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE WENDY THOMAS BY ABOUT 400...

Republican Boyd wins NH House seat in closely-watched Merrimack special election

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