Live Results for September 19: State House Special Elections

There are four state legislative districts with special elections or primaries Tuesday. The most high-profile race is in Pennsylvania, where the State House is evenly split. A Republican win is unlikely, but should it come to pass the party will take control of the chamber. 

New Hampshire State House (2 elections)

With 400 members at full strength, the New Hampshire House of Representatives is the largest legislative body in the United States. The narrowly-divided chamber currently has 199 Republicans, 196 Democrats. Members serve two year terms; the next regular elections are in 2024.

There are two independents, Reps. Shaun Filiault and Dan Hynes. Both became unaffiliated when they left major political parties in June. There are also three vacancies. Two are on the ballot Tuesday, while the third occurred just yesterday, when Democrat William Hatch of District Coos 6 resigned.

Polls close at 7:00 PM Eastern Time.

District Hillsborough 3 (Primary)

Hillsborough 3 is a multi-member district in the Nashua area. There are three seats, all won by Democrats in the 2022 election. Of the three, Fred Davis is the only remaining incumbent. Democrat Mark Plamondon won a special election in May by 72% to 28% over David Narkunas. This filled the seat of Stacie-Marie Laughton who had resigned.

The open Hillsborough 3 seat was previously held by David Cote, who resigned in July. While Cote had been in the State House since 1983, he was never seated during the current term due to ongoing health challengers.

The Republican primary features a rematch from the most recent special election. Don't expect many votes: David Narkunas bested Joost Baumeister by 13 to 9 in that prior contest.

Paige Beauchemin is unopposed for the Democratic nomination. The general election is scheduled for November 7.

New Hampshire State House District Rockingham 1

Rockingham 1 is a three-member district located in the southeastern part of the state. Republicans won these three seats in November, 2022, although all six candidates on the ballot received between 15.9% and 17.3% of the vote.

Benjamin Bartlett resigned due to health reasons in April.

James Guzofski is the Republican nominee, having won the party primary on August 1. Hal Rafter was unopposed for the Democratic nod.

Pennsylvania State House District 21

The 203-member Pennsylvania State House is evenly split at the moment, with 101 representatives from each party. Members serve two year terms; the next regular elections are in 2024.

On July 19, Democrat Sara Innamorato resigned from the Pittsburgh area District 21 to run for another office. The nominees - Lindsay Powell (D) and Erin Autenreith (R) were chosen by their respective political parties.

This is a heavily Democratic district, but should Autenreith pull the upset, Republicans would regain control of the House.

Polls close at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

South Carolina State Senate District 42 (Primary Runoff)

Republicans dominate the South Carolina State Senate. They hold 30 of the 46 seats. There are 13 Democrats and one independent, along with vacancies in Districts 19 and 42. Members serve four-year terms; the next regular elections are in 2024.

District 42 includes parts of Charleston and areas mostly to the northwest. Democrat Marlon Kimpson resigned in May to accept a job with the Biden Administration. Kimpson had been in the State Senate since winning a special election in 2013. He was unopposed for reelection in 2016 and 2020.

In the September 5 Democratic primary, Wendell Gilliard finished first in the three-person field, getting 47% of the vote. Deon Tedder was runner-up with 39%. As neither got a majority, the nomination will be determined in this runoff.

The winner will meet Republican Rosa Kay in the November 7 general election.

Upcoming Elections

Looking ahead to 2024? Bookmark the Presidential Election Calendar. 

• September 26
  • Alabama State House Districts 16 and 55 Special (Primary)
    • Runoff, as needed, October 24
• October 3
  • Florida State House District 118 Special (Primary)
  • Oregon State House District 8 (Recall)
• October 5
  • Memphis, Tennessee Mayoral
• October 10
  • Durham, North Carolina Mayoral (Primary)
  • Massachusetts State Senate District Worcester & Hampshire Special (Primary)
  • Oklahoma State Senate District 32 Special (Primary)
• October 14
  • Louisiana All-Party Primary
    • General Election Runoff, as needed, November 18
• October 24
  • South Carolina State Senate District 19 Special (Primary)
    • Runoff, as needed, November 7
• November 7
  • Kentucky, Mississippi Governor
  • State Legislature: Mississippi, New Jersey, Virginia
  • Rhode Island Congressional District 1 Special
  • Mayors:  Aurora, CO; Boise, ID; Charlotte, NC; Columbus, OH; Durham NC; Fort Wayne, IN, Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Spokane, WA; Tucson, AZ; Wichita, KS
  • Legislative Special Elections:  FL State House District 35 (Primary); NH State House District Hillsborough 3; MA State Senate District Worcester & Hampshire; RI State Senate District 1, SC State Senate District 42; TX State House District 2
• November 21
  • Utah Congressional District 2 Special