November ballot set for New Hampshire races

New Hampshire primary voters emerged from the polls Tuesday having sided with establishment picks for the November ballot. After Democratic U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter chose not to run for reelection, Republicans see an opportunity to flip her House seat red.

In the GOP primary, voters chose former police chief Eddie Edwards over state Sen. Andy Sanborn after reports surfaced that Sanborn allegedly made sexually inappropriate comments to a staff member at the state capitol. Democrats tapped a member of the governor’s Executive Council, Chris Pappas, an establishment choice who bested 10 other challengers, including Levi Sanders, who did not secure an endorsement from his father, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., despite running on a similar progressive platform.

Come November, an Edwards or Pappas victory will represent a historical first for New Hampshire: Edwards as the state’s first African-American congressman and Pappas as its first openly homosexual one.

In the state’s gubernatorial race, former state Sen. Molly Kelly defeated former Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand in the Democratic primary. She will face Republican incumbent Gov. Chris Sununu, who faced no primary opposition and enjoys a strong approval rating of 61 percent.