Democratic candidate Bobbi Boudman flipped a New Hampshire legislative seat once held by a longtime Republican after winning Tuesday’s special election.
Boudman secured nearly 52% of the vote as of Wednesday morning, compared to just under 48% for Republican contender Dale Fincher. The Democrat’s victory represented a 16-point swing from 2024 when she last ran in the same district. At the time, she lost by more than 13 points.
Democrats were eager to gloat over their major state victory.
“Bad day for the NHGOP,” New Hampshire Democratic Party communications staffer Marissa Hebert posted on X.
“Tuesdays are becoming a headache for state Republicans across the country as they suffer one stunning defeat after another. Bobbi Boudman’s flip in New Hampshire tonight is just the latest in a string of 28 Democratic state legislative flips since Trump’s election,” Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams said Tuesday night.
The committee cited last week’s Arkansas special election in which Alex Holladay won by nearly 15 points in a swing for Democrats. That race was one of many special election victories for the party.
“These wins aren’t a flash in a pan – together, they tell an undeniable story of Democratic momentum as voters reject Republicans and blame them for soaring costs,” Williams added. “The DLCC isn’t taking our foot off the gas as we gear up for a historic November. This is the year to transform power in state legislatures – we’re only just getting started.”
The DLCC has New Hampshire as one of its seven crucial battleground states for the midterm elections on its target map. The committee says the Democratic Party has a chance to flip both chambers in the key state and break the Republican trifecta.
The New Hampshire House is currently controlled by Republicans, who hold 40 more seats than Democrats. The minority party needs to flip more than 20 seats in order to gain a minimum 201-seat majority in the chamber. All 400 seats are up for grabs this election cycle.
The Democratic National Committee attributed Boudman’s election victory to her focus on rising costs for Granite State residents while touting the upset win as a sign of things to come for Republicans later this year.
“This win is yet another warning sign to Republicans across the country, and a new reality is now sinking in: no Republican seat is safe,” DNC Chairman Ken Martin said Wednesday morning. “From now until November, Democrats are keeping our foot on the gas and organizing and competing everywhere, including to flip the New Hampshire House and take back power across the country.”
Boudman is taking the place of Republican former state Rep. Glenn Cordelli, who resigned last fall after being in the state House for nearly 13 years.
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Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH), who is running for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire this year, congratulated Boudman.
“Congratulations to Bobbi Boudman on her election as state rep. for Ossipee, Tuftonboro, and Wolfeboro!” he wrote on X. “Change is possible when we work hard and stand up for our communities.”