Municipal Elections 2025

Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais earned re-election after cruising to victory at the polls. The Republican Ruais defeated Democratic challenger Jessica Spillers to win a second term as leader of the state’s largest city.

In Laconia, former state representative Mike Bordes will be that city’s new mayor after beating Bruce Cheney.

In Nashua, the only incumbent not to win re-election was Ward Six alderman Chris Thibodeau, who lost by 22 votes to Vengerflutta Smith.

In Dover, Dennis Shanahan was elected mayor Tuesday, Nov. 4, defeating Shawn Mickelonis by a wide margin. Shanahan was first elected to the City Council in 2015, serving as the Ward 5 city councilor, and the last four years as the deputy mayor.

In Rochester, Chuck Grassie has been elected Rochester’s next mayor, winning a four person race.  Grassie defeated Matt Mayberry, Peter Lachapelle, and Douglas Robbins and will take office in January, when the new term begins.

Somersworth Mayor Matt Gerding beat another challenge from Kitara Maxey yesterday winning 82.2% of the vote to win a second term as Somersworth’s chief executive. He defeated Maxey in 2023 in a successful campaign to replace longtime Mayor Dana Hilliard.

Portsmouth Mayor Deaglan McEachern was reelected to a third term as was Assistant Mayor Joanna Kelley and five remaining incumbent city councilors in yesterday’s municipal election.

Concord voters cleared the way for potential social districts within the city, but kept the door closed to Keno. After the first ballot question passed with 52% approval from voters, the city council can now decide whether to create designated outdoor areas for public alcohol consumption. A new state law passed this year allowed individual towns and cities to decide whether to legalize them. In the race for Concord Mayor, Bryon Champlin defeated Kate West for another term. Champlin received nearly 63 percent of the vote

Social districts in NH were voted down in Keene, Portsmouth and Nashua