Cheshire County incumbents succeed in NH House, Republicans pick up one seat

Hunter Oberst, The Keene Sentinel, N.H.
·6 min read

Nov. 9—Every incumbent seeking re-election Tuesday in the N.H. House of Representatives in Cheshire County came out victorious, and Republicans picked up one seat in the county delegation that remains dominated by Democrats.

Heading into the midterm elections, Democrats held an 18-5 advantage among Cheshire County House members, a margin that shrunk to 17-6 after voters cast their ballots in Tuesday's midterm elections. Incumbents make up more than half the delegation, and all 13 of them won re-election.

Here are the full results for N.H. House of Representative races in Cheshire County:

District 1

In a landslide victory, Democrat Nicholas Germana defeated Aria DizMezzo in the race for N.H. House, Cheshire District 1, which covers Keene Ward 1. Germana, 47, a Keene State College history professor, received 1,095 votes while DizMezzo, 36, a libertarian activist, walked away with 272.

District 2

In Cheshire District 2, which covers Keene Ward 3, Democratic incumbent Dru Fox, 68, soundly defeated Republican candidate Wesley Anton Felix,48, securing 1,289 votes to Felix's 529. Fox, a retired school administrator, secured a second term over the small business owner Felix.

District 3

Democrat Philip Jones, a 67-year-old Keene city councilor, won in Cheshire District 3, beating out Republican opponent Jerry Sickels by nearly 1,000 votes. Jones earned 1,484 votes while Sickels, vice chairman of the Keene City GOP Committee, received 636 in the district that covers Keene Ward 5.

District 4

Democrat Jodi Newell, 42, won the seat for Cheshire District 4, which covers Keene Ward 4, defeating Republican Thomas Savastano, 56. Newell, who works in a transitional homeless shelter in Norwell, Mass., won 1,276 votes while Savastano, an ordained minister, received 633.

District 5

In a victory of nearly 600 votes, Democratic incumbent Lucy McVitty Weber of Walpole retained her seat in Cheshire District 5 over Republican and fellow Walpole resident John William Winter. Weber, 70, a retired school teacher, won her ninth two-year term with 1,439 votes, beating out Winter, 19, who received 847.

District 6

Democratic incumbents in Cheshire District 6, Michael D. Abbott, 74, of Hinsdale and Cathryn A. Harvey, 72, of Chesterfield, successfully defended their seats against Republican challengers Tony Barton of Spofford and Richard Merkt of Westmoreland. District 6 covers Chesterfield, Hinsdale and Westmoreland. Abbott, a former civics teacher and once principal of Hinsdale Middle/High School, won a fifth term with 2,237 votes, while Harvey, a retired music teacher and chairwoman of the Chesterfield Library board, earned a fourth term with 2,176. Barton, 57, a corporate pilot, and Merkt, 73, chairman of the Cheshire County Republican Committee, received 1,656 and 1,660 votes, respectively.

District 7

Shaun Filiault, a 41-year-old Democrat, handily defeated his Republican opponent, David A. Kamm, 77, in Cheshire County District 7, which covers Keene Ward 2. Filiault, an attorney, came out on top with 1,409 votes while Kamm, who retired after a career in the computer industry, got 497.

District 8

Lucius Parshall of Marlborough, a Democrat who ran unopposed in Cheshire District 8, won re-election to a second term, securing 1,745 votes. Parshall, 67, is a retired public school music teacher. District 8 covers Harrisville, Marlborough, Nelson, Roxbury and Sullivan.

District 9

Longtime Democratic incumbent Daniel Adams Eaton of Stoddard won re-election once again, securing his 17th term in the House, defeating Rich Nalevanko of Alstead in Cheshire District 9. Eaton, 66, is a retail manager at Tractor Supply in Hillsboro. Nalevanko, 75, is a retired business executive in the oil industry. Eaton received 1,255 votes in the district — which covers Alstead, Gilsum, Marlow and Stoddard — edging out Nalevanko with 1,127.

District 10

Incumbent Barry Faulker and fellow Democrat Bruce L. Tatro, both of Swanzey, defeated Swanzey Republicans Daniel LeClair and Michael R. York for two seats in Cheshire District 10, which takes in Richmond and Swanzey. Faulkner, 72, and Tatro, 71, received 1,658 and 1,772 votes respectively. LeClair, 42, got 1,563 while York, 69, finished last with 1,482.

Faulkner, who was first elected to the Legislature in 2016, is a former town and transportation planner and Tatro is a retired public works superintendent who previously served in the House. LeClair is an owner of a construction firm and a member of the Monadnock Regional School Board, and York is a Swanzey Planning Board member and retired manufacturing manager.

District 11

In Cheshire District 11, which covers Winchester, Republican Zachary Nutting, 39, defeated Natalie Quevedo, a 39-year-old Democrat, 766-679. Quevedo is a co-owner of ReVision Energy and serves on the town selectboard, while Nutting is an office manager for a Springfield, Mass.-based vending company.

District 12

Republican Dick Thackston of Troy, 66, defeated Democrat and fellow Troy resident Jack Gettens, 63, in the race for Cheshire District 12, which covers Fitzwilliam and Troy. Thackston, chairman of the town selectboard, won with 1,046 votes, beating out Gettens, with 860.

District 13

Democratic incumbent Richard Ames of Jaffrey outpolled Republican opponent Rita Mattson of Dublin in the race for Cheshire District 13, which covers the two towns. Ames, 78, a retired lawyer, received 1,776 votes compared to 1,525 for Mattson, a retired factory worker.

District 14

Republican John B. Hunt, 65, retained his seat for Cheshire District 14, which covers Rindge, against his Democratic opponent, 38-year-old Hannah Bissex. Hunt, a retired computer retail salesman and 18-term incumbent, won 1,766 votes over Bissex's 1,028.

District 15

In a four-way race for two seats in the newly redrawn Cheshire District 15, Democrats and Keene residents Amanda Elizabeth Toll, an incumbent, and newcomer Renee Monteil emerged victorious over their Republican challengers. Toll, 38, received 8,485 votes and Monteil, 49, received 8,022.

Their Keene opponents, Joseph Mirzoeff, 71, a retired actuary and John Schmitt, 69, a retired chemical engineer received 4,171 and 4,647 votes, respectively. Toll owns a vegan ice cream business, while Monteil is a doula who provides emotional, educational and physical support during pregnancy.

District 16

In Cheshire District 16, two-term Democratic incumbent Joseph Schapiro of Keene, 72, won easily over his Republican opponent, 92-year-old Fred Ward of Stoddard. Schapiro, a retired social worker, ended the night with 4,196 votes compared to 2,424 for Ward, a retired meteorologist in the district that covers Keene's Ward 2, as well as Alstead, Gilsum, Harrisville, Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson, Roxbury, Stoddard and Sullivan.

District 17

Republican incumbent Jennifer Rhodes of Winchester retained her seat in Cheshire District 17, soundly defeating her Democratic opponent, Renee Murphy of Richmond. Rhodes, 49, secured her victory with 3,792 votes while Murphy, 55, received 3,070. Rhodes is a substitute teacher and former real estate agent and Murphy works in the software industry. District 17 takes in Fitzwilliam, Richmond, Swanzey, Troy and Winchester.

District 18

Republican incumbents Jim Qualey, 68, and Matthew Santonastaso, 34, both of Rindge, retained their seats in a tight race for Cheshire District 18 against their Democratic opponents, 75-year-old Jeffrey C. Dickler of Rindge and John W. McCarthy, 72, of Jaffrey. Qualey and Santonastaso, who both won second terms in the House, secured 2,927 and 2,917 votes, respectively. Dickler received 2,621 votes while McCarthy received 2,811.

Hunter Oberst can be reached at 355-8546, or hoberst@keenesentinel.com.