New Hampshire is among the smallest states in the country, but its state primaries on Tuesday have enough intrigue to fill a much larger state.
The New England state has an independent streak that makes it hard to categorize as red or blue. While it has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in each of the last five elections, it's also sent the moderate Republican Chris Sununu to the governor's mansion four times. Its four-person congressional delegation has been comprised entirely of Democrats since 2017, but Republicans currently hold slim majorities in both chambers of the state legislature.
Tuesday's primaries will set the stage for a revealing general election. Due to the retirements of Sununu and longtime Rep. Ann Kuster, there are open races for governor and the state's 2nd Congressional District. Both races have competitive Republican and Democratic primaries. And on top of those key executive and legislative races, all seats in the nation's largest state legislature are up for election in 2024.
The Republican gubernatorial primary will pit Kelly Ayotte , a former U.S. Senator who has promised to stay on the "Sununu path," against former state Senate president Chuck Morse, who has touted himself as the 'sole New Hampshire gubernatorial candidate to have endorsed Donald Trump." Ayotte is the leading fundraiser in the race, with over $7 million raised so far.
On the Democratic side, Joyce Craig , the former mayor of Manchester, will face Cinde Warmington, the lone Democrat on the New Hampshire Executive Council (a five-member panel that approves state agency heads, judges and state contracts), and business owner Jon Kiper. Craig is the second-highest fundraiser among candidates for governor from either party, trailing only Ayotte.
