Paul W. Hodes won a second term in Washington by a comfortable margin, turning back challenger Jennifer Horn to retain his 2nd District U.S. House seat.

Hodes, a Democrat from Concord, received 57 percent of the vote, with 84 percent of the state’s precincts reporting. Horn, a Republican from Nashua, came in second with 41 percent of the vote, while Libertarian candidate Chester L. Lapointe of Swanzey finished third with 2 percent.

Hodes’ wide margin of victory was paralleled in the Monadnock Region, where he received 32,021 votes to Horn’s 18,436 and where he won in 30 of 31 communities. Only Rindge, by a 1,733 to 1,484 margin, went to Horn.

Hodes’ first bid for Congress came up short in 2004, when he lost to incumbent Charles F. Bass, 58 percent to 38 percent. Two years later, he beat the six-term representative, 53 percent to 46 percent.

In this year’s campaign, Hodes referred to his win in the 2006 election as being “about change,” while this year’s race, he said, was “about more change.”

“We are moving in a new direction and we begin a new journey,” Hodes said in a speech Tuesday night.

“We are going to set this great country of ours on a path where we connect every New Hampshire family, every American family with that mystical bond that says, ‘This is our government, of the people, by the people and for the people.’ And we'll never let it go.

“I want to thank all the New Hampshire families and voters of the 2nd district who put their faith in me, who have asked me to be their voice in Washington, a voice for change, an independent voice standing up every day to give my heart, my passion, every fiber of my being to make this country the kind of country we know we can be, we know we are proud of,” he said.

The 2nd District is a large, C-shaped area, covering northern New Hampshire and stretching down the Connecticut River Valley and then along the state’s southern border all the way past Nashua.

Horn, like Hodes, campaigned on the concept of change, running against the status quo in Washington. That mission is far from over, Horn said in her concession speech.

“This is not the end of anything. This is only the beginning,” Horn said. “This may just be the first step, but it’s a giant step, and it’s a step forward, and that’s what this is all about.

“One of the most exciting things about this whole campaign has not just been that I am new to politics and what a great experience it’s been, but how many people have come to our campaign who are new to politics ... who are understanding that we can make government work for us again, that we can be part of making the world a better place.”

Horn congratulated Hodes but followed immediately afterward with a warning.

“He’s got to watch out,” Horn said. “He’s going to have to keep his eyes open now because we’re watching. We’re paying attention when he spends taxpayer dollars. We are paying attention when he votes for tax increases. We’re paying attention when he votes against comprehensive energy reform.

“We are paying attention to what he’s doing, and he doesn’t have quite that cushy position that he might have thought he did,” she said.

Hodes’ win is an affirmation from voters of Democratic policies, and a reaction to the economic crisis, Jennifer Donahue, political director for the N.H. Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College in Manchester.

“The Democrats are clearly making big gains,” Donahue said. “It's not to take it away from Hodes. His win is significant in District 2, in and of itself. He has been an active member in the time he’s been in office, and voters are rewarding him for that.

“But I also think tonight is a voter determination on the direction of the country, and voters are putting their faith in Democrats to lead it forward,” she said.

How the next couple of years play out will tell whether — and how — Horn returns, Donahue said.

“Voters will be looking closely at how Democrats govern now. And a lot will be based on how the economy goes. A lot will be based on how the Democrats work within their party and across the aisle.

“But if voters are uncomfortable with the outcome in any way, the next race is really just right around the corner, especially in the House of Representatives.

“Jennifer Horn did beat people’s expectations in going as far as she did. Obviously it was a very uphill battle, but I do think that she made a name for herself. She ran a good campaign, but I just don’t think the mood of the electorate was on her side.”



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