Projecting the 2026 NH State Senate Elections, V1.0

E40: Will a Nation Turn its Political Eyes to NH...in August?

A lot has happened in the last few weeks in the two Democratic and GOP primaries in NH's CD-1 that could be greatly simplifying those races. But the emerging story in New Hampshire could be the Democratic primary for...U.S. Senate. Democratic Socialist candidates have been making news in several high-profile congressional primaries (in places like Colorado and New York), and recently polling from UNH suggests that maybe a DSA-styled candidate, Karishma Manzur, is making noise against Rep. Chris Pappas in their Democratic primary. After Michigan on August 4th, and Minnesota and Wisconsin on August 11th, there really isn't another big game in town nationally for DSA activists to turn their organizing and energy. Could New Hampshire become the place to be for four weeks late this summer? #nhpolitics

E39: Rebecca Harned Joins "Pitch Deck"

Rebecca Harned is the Democratic nominee in New Hampshire's State Senate District 7, one of the most competitive and important downballot races in the state in 2026. The Senate is currently controlled by the GOP 16-8, though a number of those 16 GOP-held seats are considered competitive in what appears to be a Democratic-leaning year this fall. Sen. Dan Innis, a two-term Republican incumbent, is being challenged by Harned. Harned has an extensive background in emergency management, spending more than a decade in Washington, D.C., working under the Obama, Biden, and Trump administrations to provide public safety and disaster preparedness initiatives. She lives in Sutton, works as a research scientist studying risk and community resilience, and serves on the Kearsarge Regional School District Municipal Budget Committee. #nhpolitics

E38: Lisa Kennedy Sheldon Joins "Pitch Talk"

Lisa Kennedy Sheldon is running for elected office for the first time, but she's got the campaign slogan down: "Because you can care about people *and* the bottom line". It's a reflection of a distinguished - and diverse - career in nursing, as an executive, and as an educator.Sheldon is running in the New Hampshire Executive Council's 3rd District, which includes most of the state's growing southeastern region. The five-member Council is a unique, and important, creation that predates the founding of the state itself, acting as a powerful check-and-balance on the Governor. All contracts with the state worth more than $10,000, the 10-year highway plan, and scores of impactful confirmations of judges, commissioners, and more all go through the Council.Sheldon spent 22 years caring for patients at St. Joseph Hospital Cancer Center in Nashua, and earned her PhD in nursing. She's taught and mentored future healthcare professionals as a tenured faculty member at the UMass-Boston, with an emphasis on deepening the connection between evidence, practice, and public service.She's also represented over 35,000 oncological nurses in DC and elsewhere with the Oncology Nursing Society, and has traveled the world as a consultant, advising nursing teams in Central America, Asia, and elsewhere.In this episode, I take time at the top to lay out the political contours of EC3, and why I see it as one of the most intriguing "flip" opportunities for NH Democrats in 2026. Then, Lisa and I spend the majority of the show having a wide-ranging conversation about her career, the Executive Council, the state of health care policy in NH, and how her candidacy connects it all together.You can learn more about Lisa at https://www.lisakennedysheldon.com. #nhpolitics

E36: The Inaugural Episode of Pitch Talk, with Dian McCarthy

This episode is a recording of a live event from June 18th with NH State Senate District 16 candidate Dian McCarthy. It's the first episode of a 2026 series I'm calling "Pitch Deck". Over the next 4+ months, I want to dive in on a number of the most intriguing, interesting, and important downballot races in New Hampshire. The first 15 minutes are a quick run through the analytics, trends, and characteristics of the district itself. Then, a 25 minute conversation with the candidate, followed by time for questions and comments from the live audience who joined us on Substack for this event. Dian is a longtime resident of the Manchester suburb of Goffstown (the biggest town in a district that also includes Hooksett, Candia, Raymond, and Ward 1 of Manchester). She was a member of the Goffstown School Board for nine years - including two successful reelections, six years as the Chair, and seven years on the town's Budget Committee. This electoral success came despite being a Democrat in a town that has leaned Republican over the past 20+ years. Dian's professional and civic career is impressive, as well. She's been a non-profit Executive Director; the Vice Chair of the NH Juvenile Court Diversion Network Board, where she helped guide the statewide network through a period of significant growth and transition; and President of the NH Breast Cancer Coalition. You can learn more about Dian and her campaign at www.mccarthy4nh.com.#nhpolitics #2026election #newhampshire

E37: Scott Shepard Wants NH to Ask the Right Questions

Scott Shepard is a candidate for State Representative in NH in Strafford 4 - one of the most competitive, "purple", and politically interesting districts in the state...but that's *not* why I wanted to sit down with him. Scott has a Substack, NH Insights, that is approaching the biggest public policy problems facing New Hampshire with a decidedly unique tone. Unlike most politicians, Scott starts with big, fundamental questions about what we actually want as a state - on education, on how we pay for schools, and what we are willing (and unwilling) to trade off in addressing the state's housing crisis. He's a PhD geneticist who has spent time at Harvard; who's been a consultant for businesses large and small to successfully help them merge, become more efficient, and reaffirm their missions. He's taken a thoughtful Facebook account and generated change in his town of Barrington, NH, where he serves in several appointed capacities. And he has very thoughtful ideas about how NH should approach what I call the "Bermuda Triangle" of public policy: Education quality, property taxes, and housing. You can find his Substack here [https://substack.com/@nhinsights?utm_source=global-search]: and his campaign website here [https://shepardfornh.com/] #nhpolitics