Thirteen Republicans for Sullivan County’s thirteen House seats

On November 3, Sullivan County voters fill 13 seats in the New Hampshire House across eight districts (Valley News; Ballotpedia). Republicans have a nominee for every one of them (NH Secretary of State).

The slate pairs proven legislators with first-time candidates who earned their reputations in town government and local business. Among the nominees who answered the 2026 Citizens Count survey questions on taxes and school choice, every one opposes an income tax and supports Education Freedom Accounts. Several races were decided by a few hundred votes in 2024, and one by 16 (Ballotpedia).

Sullivan 1 through 5

Sullivan 1 (Grantham): Joel T. Hutchins

Joel Hutchins is making his second run for this seat after challenging Democratic incumbent Brian Sullivan in 2024 (Ballotpedia). A Grantham husband and father of two, he supports Education Freedom Accounts and business tax cuts, and he opposes income, sales, and capital gains taxes (Citizens Count).

Sullivan 2 (Cornish, Plainfield): Michael Belanger

Michael Belanger retired to Cornish in 2020 after 37 years with the Departments of Defense and State, and he now runs the Chase House Inn. He wants a cap on annual property tax increases and wider access to Education Freedom Accounts. He also backs paper ballots with hand-count audits and opposes ranked-choice voting (mikebelanger4nh.com).

Sullivan 3 (Charlestown, Newport, Unity): three seats, three incumbents

Steven Smith of Charlestown is Deputy Speaker of the House and Vice Chair of the Rules Committee, now in his eighth term (gc.nh.gov). A small business owner who co-owned Smith Scale Speedway (Ballotpedia), he champions HB 1300, which would let voters set limits on local school taxes (steve4nh.com). His view of the budget fits in one line: “We don’t have a revenue problem we have a spending problem” (steve4nh.com).

Skip Rollins of Newport is Vice Chair of State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs (gc.nh.gov). He was the top vote-getter in Sullivan 3 in 2024 (Ballotpedia). His votes include cutting the Business Enterprise Tax and widening Education Freedom Account eligibility (Citizens Count).

Walter “Terry” Spilsbury of Charlestown brings an attorney’s training and a Columbia MBA to the House, where he is Vice Chair of Education Funding and serves on Finance (Ballotpedia; gc.nh.gov). At home he chairs the Charlestown Planning Board (Citizens Count). He wants schools to lean less on property taxes and calls no income tax “the ‘NH Advantage’” (Citizens Count).

Sullivan 4 (Acworth, Goshen, Langdon, Lempster, Washington): Ron Rule

Ron Rule of Langdon is a former CEO who says he brought jobs back from China, and he founded the Langdon firearms maker New Hampshire Arsenal (ronrule.com). He opposes any income, sales, or broad-based tax and wants to clear barriers to new housing (ronrule.com). His approach to governing: “Decisions about our towns should be made in our towns” (ronrule.com).

Sullivan 5 (Springfield, Sunapee): George C. Grant

George Grant of Sunapee won this seat in 2024 by 16 votes, 1,686 to 1,670 (Ballotpedia). A retired building contractor with planning board experience, he serves on the House Housing Committee (Citizens Count; gc.nh.gov). He supports Education Freedom Accounts and local caps on school district taxes (Citizens Count).

Sullivan 6 through 8

Sullivan 6 (Claremont, Croydon): three seats

Dale Girard is Claremont’s mayor, now in his second term, and a lifelong resident who graduated from Stevens High School in 1985 (girard4nh.com). He has run a business since 1999, including the Golden Cross Ambulance service (Ballotpedia). Elected to the House in 2024, he joined the Republican Party in April, saying his views no longer lined up with the Democrats (NHPR). He supports Education Freedom Accounts and opposes every broad-based tax (Citizens Count).

Wayne Hemingway enlisted in the Army at 17 and retired as a Master Sergeant after 38 years of service (wayne4nh.com). A Claremont city councilor at large (Citizens Count), he won his House seat in 2024 and serves on State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs (gc.nh.gov). His platform puts lower taxes and lower energy costs first, along with firm support for parents’ role in education (wayne4nh.com).

Emily Sandblade of Claremont is a retired physicist and physics and computer science instructor who still works part time as an engineer. She served in the House from 2012 to 2014 (Citizens Count), representing Hillsborough 18 (Ballotpedia). She favors more school choice and zoning that allows duplexes, accessory dwelling units, and tiny homes (Citizens Count).

Sullivan 7 (Charlestown, Cornish, Newport, Plainfield, Unity): Margaret M. Drye

Margaret Drye has lived in Plainfield for 46 years and has volunteered with the Cornish Rescue Squad for just as long as a nationally registered EMT (dryenh.com). She is clerk of the House Education Policy and Administration Committee (gc.nh.gov) and chairs the Plainfield Finance Committee (Citizens Count). She won this seat in 2024 with 53.6 percent (Ballotpedia), and her bills include a business tax credit for child care and help for volunteer first responders (dryenh.com).

Sullivan 8 (Acworth, Claremont, Croydon, Goshen, Langdon, Lempster, Springfield, Sunapee, Washington): two seats

Jonathan Stone is a lifelong Claremont resident, a former state representative, a three-term city councilor, and chair of the Sullivan County Republican Committee (jonathanfstone.com). He co-owns Black Op Arms (Citizens Count) and finished first in the September primary (Citizens Count). On the campaign trail he hears about property taxes more than anything else (Valley News).

Cathy Peschke of Croydon, the self-described “Tax Fighting Mom,” has worked for school choice since 2008 (peschke4nh.com). She is credited with helping pass the 2017 Croydon Bill and with advocacy for Education Freedom Accounts in 2021 and 2023 (peschke4nh.com). An audiologist and substitute teacher who homeschooled her two children, she wants to end property taxes at age 65 (peschke4nh.com).

Vote on November 3

The general election is Tuesday, November 3 (Valley News). Check which district your town belongs to above, then vote for every Republican on your ballot, including the floterial seat in Sullivan 7 or Sullivan 8.

These candidates need volunteers for door knocking and rides to the polls. Reach the Sullivan County Republican Committee through sullivannhgop.com to sign up.

Sources

• NH Secretary of State, 2026 Republican State Primary
• Citizens Count, 2026 NH House primary results
• Ballotpedia, NH House elections 2026
• Valley News, Sept. 8, 2026 primary results
• Valley News, Sept. 2, 2026 Sullivan 8 preview
• NHPR, Apr. 28, 2026, Girard party change
• Candidate pages: Hutchins, Belanger, Smith, Rollins, Spilsbury, Rule, Grant, Girard, Hemingway, Sandblade, Drye, Stone, Peschke