Voters oust two incumbent Democrats in NH House primaries

In District 7, which covers Keene Ward 2, Rep. John Bordenet lost to Shaun Filiault. And in the newly redrawn District 15 — which covers Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Keene Wards 1, 3, 4, 5, Surry, Walpole and Westmoreland — Rep. Paul Berch of Westmoreland fell to fellow incumbent Amanda Elizabeth Toll of Keene and another Elm City resident, Renee Monteil.

Here are the full results of Cheshire County’s contested N.H. House primaries:

District 7

Filiault defeated four-term incumbent Bordenet in a landslide victory, 409 to 137.

“I really appreciate the support of the voters of Ward 2 for their support of my campaign,” Filiault said Tuesday outside the polls at the Keene Recreation Center. “I also appreciate Rep. Bordenet’s time and effort in Concord and the fact that he’s put in eight years for our community.”

Filiault, 40, is a lawyer and teaches political science at Keene State College. He said he favors common-sense firearm restrictions that could reduce gun violence.

“The fact we haven’t had a mass atrocity in the state is not that we’re special with regards to this issue, it is that we’re lucky,” he said.

In the general election, Filiault will face David A. Kamm, who ran unopposed in the primary.

District 15

Toll and Monteil campaigned together on a progressive platform highlighting issues such as abortion rights and raising the minimum wage. Toll, who is seeking her second term in Concord, received the most votes in the two-seat district with 2,193. Monteil, a local activist who owns her own doula business, received 1,602 votes, edging out the six-term incumbent Berch, who got 1,472.

On the Republican side of the race, Joseph Mirzoeff and John Schmitt, both of Keene, advanced to the general election, defeating Malia Boaz of Westmoreland. Schmitt received the most votes with 955, while Mirzoeff squeezed by Boaz 684 to 643. Both Republican nominees previously told The Sentinel they objected to the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which they say violated Granite Staters’ liberties.

District 4

In the Republican primary for the district that takes in Keene’s Ward 4, Thomas Savastano defeated Matthew D. Roach 170 to 66. Savastano is an ordained minister with experience in nonprofits, social service organizations and small business. His opponent for the GOP nomination, Roach, told The Sentinel last week he was not actually interested in serving as a state representative.

In the Nov. 8 general election, Savastano will face Jodi Newell, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for the seat.

District 9

Rich Nalevanko of Alstead won the Republican nomination in the district that covers Alstead, Gilsum, Marlow and Stoddard. He defeated Robert D’Arcy of Stoddard, 317-142, to advance to the general election, where he’ll face 16-term incumbent Daniel Adams Eaton of Stoddard.

Nalevanko, a retired international business executive in the oil industry, won a combined 269 votes in Alstead, Marlow and Stoddard, while D’Arcy received 114 votes in those towns. Nalevanko also won the town of Gilsum, 48-28.

District 11

In the district that covers the town of Winchester, Republican Zachary Nutting beat Max Santonastaso 228 to 130.

Nutting, 39, works as a service manager in the vending machine industry and owns a food truck business, which he said has made food donations to those in need. He also is a federal firearms licensee who runs a gun shop out of his garage.

Nutting will square off in the general election with Democrat Natalie Quevedo, who currently serves on the town selectboard and ran unopposed in her primary.

District 13

In the three-way race for the Republican nomination in the district covering Dublin and Jaffrey, Rita Mattson of Dublin emerged victorious over Christopher Mazerall of Jaffrey and Donald R. Primrose of Dublin. Mattson, who was the Republican nominee in a special election last year in the old Cheshire District 9, won by a wide margin, receiving 466 votes while Mazerall and Primrose got 83 and 120, respectively.

Five-term incumbent Richard Ames of Jaffrey ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, and will face Mattson in the Nov. 8 general election for a two-year term.

Uncontested races

The following candidates moved on to the general election ballot without contest in Tuesday’s primary:

District 1

Communities: Keene Ward 1

Democrat: Nicholas Germana

Republican: Aria DiMezzo

District 2

Communities: Keene Ward 3

Democrat: Dru Fox (incumbent)

Republican: Wesley Anton Felix

District 3

Communities: Keene Ward 5

Democrat: Philip Jones

Republican: Jerry Sickels

District 5

Communities: Surry and Walpole

Democrat: Lucy McVitty Weber of Walpole (incumbent)

Republican: John William Winter of Walpole

District 6 (2 representatives)

Communities: Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Westmoreland

Democrats: Michael D. Abbott of Hinsdale (incumbent) and Cathryn A. Harvey of Chesterfield (incumbent)

Republicans: Tony Barton of Spofford and Rick Merkt of Westmoreland

District 8

Communities: Harrisville, Marlborough, Nelson, Roxbury, Sullivan

Democrat: Lucius Parshall of Marlborough (incumbent)

Republican: None filed

District 10 (2 representatives)

Communities: Richmond, Swanzey

Democrats: Barry Faulkner of Swanzey (incumbent), and Bruce L. Tatro of Swanzey

Republicans: Daniel LeClair of Swanzey, and Michael R. York of Swanzey

District 12

Communities: Fitzwilliam, Troy

Democrat: Jack Gettens of Troy

Republican: Dick Thackston of Troy

District 14

Communities: Rindge

Democrat: Hannah Bissex

Republican: John B. Hunt of Rindge (incumbent)

District 16

Communities: Alstead, Gilsum, Harrisville, Keene Ward 2, Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson, Roxbury, Stoddard, Sullivan

Democrat: Joseph Schapiro of Keene (incumbent)

Republican: Fred Ward of Stoddard

District 17

Communities: Fitzwilliam, Richmond, Swanzey, Troy, Winchester

Democrat: Renee Murphy of Richmond

Republican: Jennifer Rhodes of Winchester (incumbent)

District 18 (2 representatives)

Communities: Dublin, Jaffrey, Rindge

Democrats: Jeffrey C. Dickler of Rindge and John W. McCarthy of Jaffrey

Republicans: Jim Qualey of Rindge (incumbent) and Matthew Santonastaso of Rindge (incumbent)

This article has been changed to add the vote totals from Gilsum to the Cheshire District 9 race and correct vote totals in the Cheshire District 13 race.