Voters pick three Republicans in primary for Claremont-area House seats

Bill Blewitt, right, Claremont Ward 3 moderator, places an “I Voted” sticker on Bob Porter’s shirt during New Hampshire primary voting at Disnard Elementary School in Claremont, N.H., on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (Valley News - Alex Driehaus) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Alex Driehaus

Wayne Hemingway (Courtesy photograph)

Emily Sandblade (Courtesy photograph)

Published: 09-11-2024 12:11 PM

Modified: 09-11-2024 12:34 PM

CLAREMONT — Claremont City Councilor Wayne Hemingway, Robert Merrill Jr. and Emily Sandblade defeated two other candidates in Tuesday’s Republican primary for the three seats representing District 6 in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

In the only contested primary for House in Sullivan County, Hemingway earned 647 votes, Merrill, 433; and Sandblade, 259, to triumph over Tom Luther with 241 votes and Luke Diamond, 231.

Tuesday’s winners will face incumbent Democrats John Cloutier and Gary Merchant and Claremont Mayor Dale Girard in the Nov. 5 general election for the district, which includes Claremont and Croydon. The Democrats ran unopposed on Tuesday.

All the candidates are from Claremont.

Incumbent state Rep. Walt Stapleton, R-Claremont, is not seeking another term.

Combined turnout in Claremont for the Democratic and Republican primaries on Tuesday was 30%, or a little more than 1,800 of the city’s nearly 6,000 registered voters. In Croydon, turnout was 33%, or 208, of the 632 registered voters.

— Patrick O’Grady

Article continues after...