To SCGOP members and friends. Prepared Wednesday, September 9, 11:45 am. All figures below are unofficial returns from the NH House Republican tracker (elections.nhhouse.gop). The Secretary of State has not yet posted the certified town-by-town sheets; when it does, these numbers will be updated. Unity and Washington had not reported in most races at the time of writing.
The short version
Republicans in Sullivan County settled both of our contested primaries and nominated a full slate for November. Jon Stone and Catherine Peschke won the two Republican nominations in House District 8. Tobin Menard of Newport won the Executive Council District 2 nomination district-wide, and he did it with a stronger margin in Sullivan County than anywhere else. At the top of the ticket, Governor Kelly Ayotte, John E. Sununu for U.S. Senate, and Lily Tang Williams for Congress each carried every Sullivan County town that has reported.
Turnout figures are not yet available from the state; we will circulate them once the Secretary of State publishes the ballots-cast spreadsheet.
Contested Republican primaries
State Representative, Sullivan District 8 (two seats) Towns: Acworth, Claremont, Croydon, Goshen, Langdon, Lempster, Springfield, Sunapee, Washington. 10 of 11 precincts reporting; Washington outstanding.
Candidate
Votes
Jon Stone, Claremont
1,070
Catherine Peschke, Croydon
652
Sebastian Zyzdorf, Goshen
490
Write-ins
12
Stone led in every reporting town except Croydon (Peschke 63, Stone 52, Zyzdorf 35) and Goshen (Zyzdorf 39, Stone 37, Peschke 17). Sunapee was the largest precinct: Stone 232, Peschke 153, Zyzdorf 84. The three Claremont wards together gave Stone 511, Peschke 270 and Zyzdorf 224. Peschke’s margin over Zyzdorf for the second seat, 162 votes, exceeds the roughly 115 Republican ballots expected from Washington, so the outcome will not change.
Stone and Peschke face Democrats Hope Damon (incumbent, Croydon) and Samuel Deering (Washington) in November.
Our thanks to Sebastian Zyzdorf for running a clean race and putting his name forward. We need people willing to do that.
Executive Councilor, District 2 District-wide, 84 of 98 precincts reporting.
Candidate
Votes
Share
Tobin Menard, Newport
6,784
55.1%
Kim Strathdee, Plymouth
5,528
44.9%
Sullivan County delivered for its own. Across the 13 county precincts reporting, Menard beat Strathdee 1,339 to 801, or 62.6%, more than seven points better than his district-wide share. Newport went 243 to 136, Sunapee 195 to 88, and the Claremont wards 414 to 183 combined. Strathdee edged Menard only in Grantham (86 to 80) and Cornish (56 to 55).
Menard faces incumbent Democrat Karen Liot Hill of Lebanon and independent John Rutherford of Grantham in November. This is the seat we most need to flip, and the county’s margin last night is the base he will build from.
Top of the ticket in Sullivan County
The statewide nominees were never in doubt, but the county numbers are worth knowing because they tell us where our voters are.
Governor (14 of 17 precincts; Acworth, Unity, Washington outstanding) Kelly Ayotte 2,463, Bob Wayne McClory 124, Shaun Fife 98. Ayotte took 91.7% in the county, in line with her statewide showing. Newport gave her 364, Sunapee 331, Charlestown 243 and the Claremont wards 645 combined.
U.S. Senate (15 of 17 precincts; Unity, Washington outstanding) John E. Sununu 2,096, Scott Brown 565. Brown’s county share was 21%, several points below his statewide share of roughly 28% of the two-way vote. His best Sullivan town was Grantham at 26%. Sununu faces Congressman Chris Pappas in November for Senator Shaheen’s open seat.
U.S. House, District 2 (15 of 17 precincts; Unity, Washington outstanding) Lily Tang Williams 1,632, Dan Nicholson 360, Victor Orlando 301, Michael Callis 233. Williams took 64.6% here, matching her statewide number almost exactly. She faces incumbent Democrat Maggie Goodlander for the second time.
Uncontested Republican nominations
These candidates had no primary opponent and are now our nominees.
State Senate District 5: Conrad Schoeffter, Plainfield (vs. Suzanne Prentiss, D-Lebanon) District 8: Jim Creighton, Antrim (vs. David Trumble, D-Weare)
State Representative Sullivan 1: Joel Hutchins, Grantham (vs. Brian Sullivan, D) Sullivan 2: Michael Belanger, Cornish (vs. Jenny Ramsey, D) Sullivan 3 (three seats): Skip Rollins, Newport; Steven Smith, Charlestown; Walter Spilsbury, Charlestown (vs. Lisa DeBartolomao, Timothy Fitzpatrick, Jeffrey Kessler, D) Sullivan 4: Ron Rule Sullivan 5: George Grant, Sunapee (vs. Judith Thackaberry, D) Sullivan 6 (three seats): Dale Girard, Wayne Hemingway, Emily Sandblade, all Claremont (vs. John Cloutier, Chris Cogswell, Lisa Gosselin, D) Sullivan 7: Margaret Drye, Plainfield (vs. Lawrence Schissel, D)
County offices Sheriff: James Yazinski, Claremont County Commissioner, District 1: Joe Osgood (vs. Benjamin Nelson, D) County Commissioner, District 2: Bennie Nelson, Newport Treasurer: Michael Sanderson, Newport Register of Deeds: Renee Simino, Lempster Register of Probate: Rodd Ward, Newport
What comes next
The general election is Tuesday, November 3. Fifty-five days.
Three things the committee needs from members now. First, the House District 8 and Executive Council races just went from intramural to head-to-head, and both nominees need volunteers, sign locations and hosts for meet-and-greets in every town. Second, the county numbers above show our strongest precincts (Newport, Sunapee, the Claremont wards) and our softest (Grantham, Cornish, Plainfield). Turnout work in the strong towns and persuasion work in the soft ones is the whole game. Third, the voter registration deadline for the general election and the absentee ballot rules will be covered at our next meeting; bring neighbors who have moved or turned 18 since the last cycle.
Congratulations to all of our nominees, and thank you to the town clerks, moderators, and election workers in all fifteen towns who ran a clean primary.
CLAREMONT, NH – Tuesday, August 25, 2026 — The Sullivan County Republican Committee (SCGOP) hosted a roundtable discussion focused on protecting local motorsports and preserving New Hampshire’s racing heritage. The event brought together key lawmakers, candidates, and racing industry stakeholders to discuss the upcoming “Right to Race” Bill for the legislative service request (LSR) filing period of the upcoming legislative session.
The roundtable featured insights from Benjamin Bosowski, owner of the racetrack, and Mike Parks of MDP Motorsports Promotions, who handles operations at the facility. Joining them to provide a broader statewide perspective was Ron Giroux, General Manager of Legion Speedway in Wentworth, NH. These industry figures discussed the economic and cultural impact of racing in New Hampshire alongside local enthusiasts who shared their perspectives on challenges facing regional speedways.
Leading the legislative push are State Representative Wayne Hemingway, State Representative Dale Girard, and State Representative Jim Creighton, a candidate for State Senate District 8. Alongside House Candidate Emily Sandblade, who is running for office in Sullivan District 6, and SCGOP Chairman Jonathan Stone, a candidate for Sullivan District 8, this leadership coalition outlined how the proposed bill aims to address zoning and regulatory concerns affecting motorsports venues.
Lawmakers noted that similar “Right to Race” legislation has already successfully passed in several other states, including Iowa, Kansas, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
“Racing is more than just a hobby in Sullivan County; it is a vital economic driver and a generational tradition for families across the Granite State,” said Chairman Jonathan Stone. “The SCGOP stands firmly behind our racing community. This initiative supports track owner Benjamin Bosowski, Mike Parks’ team at MDP Motorsports, and Ron Giroux at Legion Speedway to ensure local venues can continue operating.”
Representative Creighton, bringing his legislative experience to the race, emphasized broad regional support for protecting local commerce and recreational spaces. Representatives Hemingway and Girard echoed this commitment to the legislative process, framing the measure as legislation designed to protect property rights.
For more information regarding the Sullivan County Republicans and future updates on the “Right to Race” legislation, please visit the official website at sullivannhgop.com, check out the Sullivan County NH Republicans Facebook Page, or contact the committee directly using the information below.
A Democrat education questionnaire now circulating in New Hampshire is built to manufacture quotes, not to inform voters. Here is how Republican candidates should answer it, and the five questions to hand back.
A five-question education “voter guide” is making the rounds on New Hampshire Democratic social media. It presents itself as neutral civic homework: five “better questions” voters should put to candidates, each with a helpful key explaining what the answers reveal. Read it once, and it sounds reasonable. Read it twice, and the machinery shows.
An update for Sullivan County Republican candidates
If you’re on the ballot this fall, you are going to be called a Free Stater. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve ever been to a Liberty Forum, moved here from Ohio, or can spell “Porcupine Freedom Festival.” The other side has settled on its 2026 message, and the message is you. This update lays out what they’re running, why they’re running it, and what you should have in your pocket when it lands on your doorstep in Claremont or Newport.
