Democratic incumbents for New Hampshire’s Executive Council in Districts 2 and 5 held their seats Tuesday night.

John D. Shea of Nelson and Debora B. Pignatelli of Nashua will continue to represent the 2nd and 5th districts, respectively, after fending off Republican challengers.

Democrats maintained their 3-2 majority in the Executive Council.

The five-member Executive Council is responsible for approving all state contracts valued at $5,000 or more. It also votes whether to confirm or deny the governor’s nominations for judges, state boards and agency heads.

Shea’s district covers Acworth, Alstead, Antrim, Bennington, Chesterfield, Dublin, Gilsum, Greenfield, Hancock, Harrisville, Langdon, Marlborough, Marlow, Nelson, Roxbury, Stoddard, Sullivan, Surry, Walpole and Westmoreland, among others.

Portions of Cheshire, Hillsborough and Merrimack counties, including Fitzwilliam, Hinsdale, Jaffrey, Keene, Peterborough, Richmond, Rindge, Swanzey, Troy and Winchester, are in Pignatelli’s district.

Shea said in a previous interview with The Sentinel he will monitor state spending in these current economic difficulties. He could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

His opponent, Daniel St. Hilaire, R-Concord, is the Merrimack County attorney and a Concord city councilor. He also said the sour economy was the No. 1 issue in this election, and vowed to reduce spending and improve budget efficiencies if elected.

Shea took 55 percent of the vote, or 58,454 votes to St. Hilaire's 48,397.

Shea upset longtime Republican executive councilor Peter J. Spaulding of Hopkinton in 2006, when Democrats swept the election.

Pignatelli, who also could not be reached for comment, said previously that she will work to limit the number of no-bid contracts brought before the Executive Council and ensure that nominations for state commissioners face public hearings.

This will be her third term. She previously served two terms in the state House of Representatives and five terms in the state Senate.

Her opponent, Stephen B. Stepanek, R-Amherst, said earlier that, if elected, he aimed to hold annual town-wide forums and work with communities to promote economic development.

Pignatelli defeated Stepanek by taking 77 percent of the vote, or 49,251 votes to his 34,782.

u Republican incumbents Raymond Burton of District 1, which includes Charlestown, among others, and Raymond Wieczorek of District 4 beat their Democratic challengers. In District 3, Democratic incumbent Beverly Hollingworth was voted in for another term.



<<back