Peterborough newcomer tops votes, incumbent loses seat in NH House primary

Sep. 14—Newcomer Jonah Wheeler topped the votes in the three-way Democratic primary for two seats representing Peterborough and Sharon in the N.H. House.

Wheeler received 817 votes, followed by incumbent Peter R. Leishman, with 777. Out of the running was incumbent Ivy Vann, with 744 votes.

Wheeler and Leishman will go up against Republicans Rachel Maidment and Matthew Pilcher, who were unopposed in Tuesday's party primary. All five candidates are from Peterborough.

In Sullivan District 3, which covers Charlestown, Newport and Unity, all three Republican incumbents advanced in the party primary. The top vote-getter was Skip Rollins of Newport with 771, followed by Steven Smith of Charlestown (713 votes) and Walter Spilsbury of Charlestown (433 votes). Out of the running was Tobin Menard of Newport, with 296 votes.

In the general election, Rollins, Smith and Spilsbury will meet Virginia O'Brien Irwin of Newport, John W. Streeter of Charlestown and Linda Kristina Wadensten of Newport, who ran uncontested in the Democratic primary Tuesday.

Jason Bourne handily defeated Larry Flint in the Democratic primary in Sullivan District 7, which covers Charlestown, Cornish, Newport, Plainfield and Unity. Bourne, of Cornish, received 992 votes while Flint, of Newport, received 295. Bourne will face off in November against Margaret M. Drye of Plainfield, who was unopposed in Tuesday's Republican primary.

Uncontested area races in Hillsborough and Sullivan counties:

Hillsborough District 30 (three seats, covering Antrim, Bennington, Hillsboro, Windsor)

Democrats Peter J. Koutroubas of Antrim and Jonathan Manley and Ckristopher Wallenstein, both of Bennington, and Republicans Riche Colcombe of Hillsboro, and incumbents Jim Creighton of Antrim and James L. Fedolfi of Hillsboro, advanced to the Nov. 8 election.

Hillsborough District 31 (one seat, covering Greenfield and Hancock)

Voters will choose between Republican Jarvis Adams IV of Greenfield and Democrat Molly C. Howard of Hancock in the general election.

Sullivan 4 (one seat, covering Acworth, Goshen, Langdon, Lempster and Washington)

Advancing to November's election were incumbent Judy Aron of Acworth, a Republican, and Democrat Bruce L. Cragin of Lempster.

Sullivan 8 (two seats, covering Acworth; Claremont wards 1, 2 and 3; Croydon; Goshen; Langdon; Lempster; Springfield; Sunapee and Washington)

Democrats Hope Damon of Croydon and Robert Lovett Jr. of Claremont and Republicans Don Bettencourt of Sunapee and Jonathan F. Stone of Claremont will vie for the seats in the general election.