Secretary of State David Scanlan, a Republican who has served as New Hampshire’s secretary of state since 2022, will face at least three challengers – and possibly more – for his position this year. Carleigh Beriont, a Hampton Select Board member who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in the 1st Congressional District this year, sent an email to all 424 state House and Senate members Tuesday morning asking for their support to become New Hampshire’s next secretary of state. James Butler, a policy adviser to former Gov. Maggie Hassan currently working for Eversource, similarly sent a letter to lawmakers last week asking for their support. And state Rep. Patrick Long, of Manchester, has also been courting lawmakers in an effort to secure the position.
Under state law, the New Hampshire Legislature selects the secretary of state in December following each state election. That’s unlike many states, where citizens directly vote for the secretary of state. The position’s biggest duty is running elections, but it also regulates insurance risk pools, registers businesses and manages state archives.
After Democrats took whopping majorities – almost 300 of the 400 House seats went to Democrats as well as 15 of 24 Senate seats – in this month’s election, some Democrats want change in the office, which has experienced an unusual amount of stability in recent history compared to the rest of state government.
A pitch for change Beriont said her experience assisting Hampton’s election monitors (all Hampton Select Board members assist in running the town’s elections) inspired her to run, as did her campaign for Congress. “I do think there is something really special about the day and the ritual,” she said of Election Day. “And the coming together and collectively deciding what we’re going to do, whether it’s at town meetings or in a state election or federal election. It’s definitely something that I would love to celebrate and inject some new energy into in the years ahead.”
Carleigh Beriont, shown here surrounded by supporters for her congressional run on June 9, 2026, is now seeking the post of secretary of state.
If elected, Beriont wants to encourage more young people to register to vote as just 7% of New Hampshire’s 18-year-olds are registered, according to The Civics Center. She said she would also advocate for nonpartisan redistricting committees, though only the Legislature has that authority, and encourage the Legislature to make voting easier. Butler said he was inspired to run after hearing from “some local elections officials who basically just want to see better collaboration, more professionalism out of the office and better preparedness.”
“I’ve been in and around elections for the better part of two decades,” Butler said, pointing to his work on campaigns and as a liaison between the governor’s office and municipalities. “It’s something that I care deeply about.” He contended that while last week’s general election went well, Scanlan left local officials unprepared in September’s primary for a large Democratic turnout he failed to predict.
Long, on the other hand, is pointing to his experience as a poll watcher during President Barack Obama’s campaign, a fundraiser for Democratic Party voter outreach and a ballot clerk. “In terms of elections, I’ve been involved in protecting the right to vote … for 18 years in various capacities,” he said, adding that he also has experience working in the Massachusetts State Auditor’s Office and on the House Municipal Finance Committee. Long criticized Scanlan for his inte
