Ex-state Rep. Cali-Pitts challenged by Jennifer Mandelbaum of Portsmouth in Dem primary

Ian Lenahan, Portsmouth Herald
·2 min read

PORTSMOUTH — Longtime former state legislator Jacqueline Cali-Pitts is seeking a return to the New Hampshire House of Representatives, and she is again facing a challenge from within the Democratic Party.

Public health researcher Jennifer Mandelbaum of Portsmouth is challenging Cali-Pitts in the Jan. 23 primary for the Rockingham County District 21 seat representing Newington and Portsmouth Ward 1. The vote is the same day as New Hampshire's presidential primary.

The winner of the Mandelbaum vs. Cali-Pitts primary will be unopposed on the special election ballot in March. No Republicans are running in the Democrat-dominated district.

Mandelbaum and Cali-Pitts are competing to replace recently resigned state Rep. Robin Vogt, who defeated Cali-Pitts in the September 2022 primary, ending her run of 24 years in the House. Vogt stepped down Dec. 1 because he was moving out of the district to Durham, he said.

Former Portsmouth state Rep. Jacqueline Cali-Pitts, a Democrat, (left) is seeking a return to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in a special election to replace former Rep. Robin Vogt in the Rockingham County District 21 seat. Cali-Pitts will face off against Portsmouth resident and public health researcher Jennifer Mandelbaum in the Jan. 23 Democratic primary election for the seat.

Mandelbaum, a member of the Portsmouth Public Library’s board of trustees, announced her candidacy on Dec. 22.

“I’m running for the House of Representatives because New Hampshire is one of the best places to live, work, and play, but there’s still work to do,” she said in a prepared statement. “I believe that a healthy economy, healthy climate, and healthy community all go hand in hand. I stand for the values I was raised on, including reproductive rights, affordable housing, resilience to climate change, and strong public schools.”

Mandelbaum said she received her undergraduate degree from Brandeis University, her master’s degree in public health from Yale University, and her PhD in public health from the University of South Carolina.

First elected in 1998, Cali-Pitts was the longest-tenured Democrat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives when she was unseated by Vogt. She called for a recount after her nine-vote loss. Vogt's victory was upheld, and he was unopposed in the general election.

Cali-Pitts ran for a seat on the Portsmouth Fire Commission in the city’s fall election but lost to commissioner Michael Hughes by 73 votes.

Republicans hold a 198-195 majority over Democrats in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. The chamber additionally has three members registered as independents.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ex-NH Rep. Cali-Pitts challenged by Jennifer Mandelbaum of Portsmouth