New Hampshire State Senate
General Information
Party control:	Republican
Session start:	January 7, 2026
Session end:	June 30, 2026
Term length:	2 years
Term limits:	None
Redistricting:	Legislature-dominant
Salary:	$100/year
Members
Total:	24
Democrats:	8
Republicans:	16
Other:	0
Vacancies:	0
Leadership
President:	Jeb Bradley (R)
Maj. Leader:	Sharon Carson (R)
Min. Leader:	Rebecca Perkins Kwoka (D)
Elections
Last election:	November 5, 2024
Next election:	November 3, 2026

TheNew Hampshire State Senate is theupper chamber of theNew Hampshire General Court. Alongside theNew Hampshire House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the New Hampshire state government and works alongside thegovernor of New Hampshire to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the New Hampshire State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The New Hampshire State Senate meets in the State House inConcord, New Hampshire.

This page contains the following information on the New Hampshire State Senate.

• Which partycontrols the chamber
• The chamber'scurrent membership
• Partisan control of the chamberover time
• Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
• Adistrict map
• Howredistricting works in the state
• Legislation currently under consideration
• Legislative session dates
• Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
• A list ofcommittees

Party control

Current partisan control

The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the New Hampshire State Senate as of February 2026:

Members

Leadership

After November elections, the entire Senate meets in early December to elect a president, who is traditionally from the majority party. New Hampshire does not have a lieutenant governor, and so when the governor is away or unable to perform the duties of the office, the Senate president serves as acting governor. The Senate president assigns the other leadership positions within their party, and the minority party appoints its own leaders.^[1][2]

Leadership and members

• Senate president:Sharon Carson (R)
• Majority leader:Regina Birdsell (R)
• Minority leader:Rebecca Perkins Kwoka (D)

Salaries

See also:Comparison of state legislative salaries

Swearing in dates

See also:When state legislators assume office after a general election

New Hampshire legislators assume office on the first Wednesday in December in even-numbered years, one month and one day after the November elections.^[4]

Membership qualifications

See also:State legislature candidate requirements by state

To be eligible to serve in theNew Hampshire State Senate, a candidate must be:^[5]

• At least 30 years of age
• A registered voter
• A resident of the state for seven years immediately preceding the election
• A resident of the district for which the candidate is running

Historical party control

Republicans won control of the New Hampshire State Senate in 2020. In2024, they won a 16-8 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the New Hampshire Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Trifecta history

Astate government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, New Hampshire was under the following types of trifecta control:

• Democratic trifecta: 2007-2010
• Republican trifecta: 1992-1996, 2003-2004, 2017-2018, 2021-2023
• Divided government: 1997-2002, 2005-2006, 2011-2016, 2019-2020

Elections

Elections by year

New Hampshire state senators servetwo-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. New Hampshire holds elections for its legislature in even years.

2026

See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2026

Elections for theNew Hampshire State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is onNovember 3, 2026. The primary isSeptember 8, 2026. The filing deadline isJune 12, 2026.

2024

See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2024

Elections for theNew Hampshire State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was onNovember 5, 2024. The primary wasSeptember 10, 2024. The filing deadline wasJune 14, 2024.

2022

See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2022

Elections for theNew Hampshire State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for September 13, 2022. The filing deadline was June 10, 2022.

Heading into the 2022 election, Republicans held a 13-10 majority with one vacancy. Republicans gained one seat in the election, giving them a 14-10 majority.

2020

See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2020

Elections for the office ofNew Hampshire State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for September 8, 2020. The filing deadline was June 12, 2020.

In the 2020 elections, Republicans flipped four seats and gained control of the New Hampshire State Senate.

2018

See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2018

Elections for theNew Hampshire State Senate took place in 2018. Thesemi-closed primary election took place on September 11, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline wasJune 15, 2018.^[6]

In the 2018 elections, Democrats flipped four seats and gained control of the New Hampshire State Senate.

2016

See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for theNew Hampshire State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on September 13, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 10, 2016. All24 seats in theNew Hampshire State Senate were up for election in 2016.

Heading into the election, Republicans held a 13-10 majority with one vacancy. Republicans gained one seat in the election, giving them a 14-10 majority.

Click [show] to see election information dating back to 2000

2014 See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2014 Elections for theNew Hampshire State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on September 9, 2014. The general election was held onNovember 4, 2014. Thesignature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 13, 2014. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 12-11 majority with one vacancy. Republicans gained two seats in the election, giving them a 14-10 majority. New Hampshire State Senate Party As of November 3, 2014 After November 4, 2014      Democratic Party 11 10      Republican Party 12 14      Vacancy 1 0 Total 24 24 2012 Se also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2012 Elections for the office of New Hampshire State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on September 11, 2012, and the general election was held onNovember 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was June 15, 2012. Atotal of 24 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 19-5 majority. Republicans lost six seats in the election, giving them a 13-11 majority. New Hampshire State Senate Party As of November 5, 2012 After the 2012 Election      Democratic Party 5 11      Republican Party 19 13 Total 24 24 The following table details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election. 2012 Margin of Victory, New Hampshire State Senate District Winner Margin of Victory Total Votes Top Opponent District 9 Andy Sanborn 0.7% 30,695 Lee Nyquist District 16 David Boutin 1.4% 28,277 Kathleen Kelley District 6 Sam Cataldo 2.6% 24,891 Richard Leonard District 12 Peggy Gilmour 3.9% 29,346 Jim Luther District 24 Nancy Stiles 5% 32,598 Beverly Hollingworth District 17 John Reagan 5.5% 27,810 Nancy R.B. Fraher District 23 Russell Prescott 6.9% 28,105 Carol Croteau District 2 Jeanie Forrester 8.2% 27,623 Robert Lamb, Jr. District 14 Sharon Carson 12.6% 25,633 Katherine Messner District 18 Donna Soucy 17.5% 23,541 J. Gail Barry 2010 See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2010 Elections for the office of New Hampshire State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on September 14, 2010, and the general election was held onNovember 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was June 11, 2010. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 14-10 majority. Democrats lost nine seats in the election, giving Republicans a 19-5 majority. New Hampshire State Senate Party As of November 1, 2010 After the 2010 Election      Democratic Party 14 5      Republican Party 10 19 Total 24 24 In 2010, the candidates for state Senate raised a total of $2,461,574 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were:[7] 2010 Donors, New Hampshire State Senate Donor Amount New Hampshire Association of Realtors $36,300 Sanborn, Andy $35,623 Angerhofer, Peter $34,734 Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire $32,800 Forrester, Jeanie $30,150 New Hampshire Auto Dealers Association $25,850 Gallagher Callahan & Gartrell $24,200 Electrical Workers Local 2320 $22,500 Wendelboe, Fran $21,050 Tausch, Frederick W $20,000 2008 See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2008 Elections for the office of New Hampshire State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 9, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $2,618,697. The top 10 contributors were:[8] 2008 Donors, New Hampshire State Senate Donor Amount New Hampshire Association Of Realtors $43,650 Martin Jr, Willard G $33,350 Professional Fire Fighters Of New Hampshire $30,923 Demers Group $27,306 Gallagher Callahan & Gartrell $22,750 Clark, Martha Fuller $20,750 Daniel Webster PAC $20,500 Denley, William P $20,000 Waste Management $19,750 New Hampshire Auto Dealers Association $19,009 2006 See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2006 Elections for the office of New Hampshire State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 12, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $2,684,106. The top 10 contributors were:[9] 2006 Donors, New Hampshire House of Representatives Donor Amount Sapareto, Frank V $39,597 New Hampshire Association Of Realtors $38,750 Commonwealth PAC $33,500 21St Century Freedom PAC $32,000 New Hampshire Auto Dealers Association $31,650 Gallagher Callahan & Gartrell $25,200 Senate Republican Victory PAC $24,100 Straight Talk America $21,000 Professional Fire Fighters Of New Hampshire $20,000 Clark, Martha Fuller $19,650 2004 See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2004 Elections for the office of New Hampshire State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 14, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $2,045,226. The top 10 contributors were:[10] 2004 Donors, New Hampshire State Senate Donor Amount Bragdon, Peter $49,895 French, Carroll D (Dave) $47,200 Sorlucco, Jerry $37,623 New Hampshire Association Of Realtors $23,050 New Hampshire Auto Dealers Association $22,700 Clark, Martha Fuller $20,000 Professional Fire Fighters Of New Hampshire $14,300 New Hampshire Medical Society $13,650 New Hampshire Education Association $13,050 Gallagher Callahan & Gartrell $13,000 2002 See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2002 Elections for the office of New Hampshire State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 10, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $1,764,674. The top 10 contributors were:[11] 2002 Donors, New Hampshire State Senate Donor Amount Bragdon, Peter E $43,997 Gallus, John T $34,516 New Hampshire Job Creation Alliance $30,750 Brothers, Richard S $25,000 Effective Government Cmte $22,500 New Hampshire Association Of Realtors $21,975 New American Optimists $21,000 Kenney, Joseph D $20,025 Humphrey, Gordon J $17,500 Sorlucco, Jerry $17,327 2000 See also:New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2000 Elections for the office of New Hampshire State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 10, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $1,826,673. The top 10 contributors were:[12] 2000 Donors, New Hampshire State Senate Donor Amount Gatsas, Theodore L $93,270 New Hampshire Job Creation Alliance $61,000 Cmte To Elect Republican State Senators Of New Hampshire $50,000 Presby, Wayne W $38,809 Infantine, William J $18,150 Courage & Leadership PAC $17,500 New Hampshire Association Of Realtors $15,450 Friends Of Rick Trombly $15,255 Granite State Teamsters $15,100 Professional Fire Fighters Of New Hampshire $15,100

Vacancies

See also:How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in theNew Hampshire General Court, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. Thegovernor and executive council must call a special election within 21 days of receiving proof of a vacancy or a request that a vacancy be filled.^[13][14][15]

See sources:New Hampshire Cons. Part II, Articles 16 and 34 andNew Hampshire Rev. Stat. Ann. § 661:8

District map

See also:New Hampshire state legislative districts

The state of New Hampshire has 228 legislative districts. The state Senate is made up of 24 senators elected from 24 districts. The House is composed of 400 members coming from 204 districts.

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Redistricting

See also:Redistricting in New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by thestate legislature. These lines are subject to veto by thegovernor.^[16]

State law requires that state legislative districts "be contiguous, and maintain the boundaries of towns, wards, or unincorporated places." There are no such requirements in place for congressional districts.^[16]

2020

See also:Redistricting in New Hampshire after the 2020 census

On March 23, 2022, Gov.Chris Sununu (R) signed a new state house map into law. On May 6, Sununu signed a new state senate map into law. These maps took effect for New Hampshire's 2022 elections.

On Jan. 5, 2022, theNew Hampshire House of Representatives voted 186-168 to approve the state House map.^[17] On Feb. 16, theNew Hampshire State Senate voted 14-10 to approve the map.^[17] On Feb. 16, theNew Hampshire State Senate voted 14-10 to approve the map.^[17]

District map after 2020 redistricting

Click here to view the enacted state senate map. This map took effect for New Hampshire's 2022 legislative elections.

2010

See also:Redistricting in New Hampshire after the 2010 census

New Hampshire received its local Census data on March 22, 2011. The state's population increased 6.5 percent, with Coos County being the only county to face a decrease (-0.2 percent). Growth in the larger cities was as follows: Manchester grew by 2.4 percent, Nashua decreased by 0.1 percent, Concord grew by 4.9 percent, Derry decreased by 2.7 percent, and Dover grew by 11.5 percent.^[18]

At the time of redistricting, Republicans controlled the General Court, and the Democrats controlled the governorship. On March 23, 2012, GovernorJohn Lynch (D) signed into law a new Senate plan but vetoed the House map, citing a lack of representation in towns exceeding 3,000 people, which automatically required their own representative. The Legislature overrode the veto on March 28, 2012, and the Department of Justice approved the maps in May 2012, as required by theVoting Rights Act.

Sessions

Legislation

The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the New Hampshire State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by the House and signed by the governor after its passage in the Senate. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated byBillTrack50.

Dates of legislative sessions in New Hampshire by year

2025

See also:2025 New Hampshire legislative session andDates of 2025 state legislative sessions

In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 8, 2025, and adjourn on June 26, 2025.

Click [show] for past years' session dates.

2024 See also:2024 New Hampshire legislative session andDates of 2024 state legislative sessions In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 3, 2024, and adjourn on June 13, 2024. 2023 See also:2023 New Hampshire legislative session andDates of 2023 state legislative sessions In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 4, 2023, and adjourn on June 29, 2023. 2022 See also:2022 New Hampshire legislative session andDates of 2022 state legislative sessions In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 5, 2022, and adjourn on May 26, 2022. 2021 See also:2021 New Hampshire legislative session andDates of 2021 state legislative sessions In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 6, 2021, and adjourn on June 24, 2021. 2020 See also:2020 New Hampshire legislative session andDates of 2020 state legislative sessions In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 8, 2020, and adjourn on June 30, 2020. Effect of coronavirus pandemic See also:Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 Coronavirus pandemic Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. 2019 See also:2019 New Hampshire legislative session andDates of 2019 state legislative sessions In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 2, 2019, through June 30, 2019. 2018 See also:2018 New Hampshire legislative session andDates of 2018 state legislative sessions In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 3, 2018, through June 30, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, clickhere. 2017 See also:Dates of 2017 state legislative sessions In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 4, 2017, through June 22, 2017. The state House met on November 2 over the governor's veto of HB 86. 2016 See also:Dates of 2016 state legislative sessions In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 6 through June 1. Major issues in 2016 Major issues in the 2016 legislative session included Medicaid expansion, addressing the state's opioid crisis, and gambling.[19] 2015 See also:Dates of 2015 state legislative sessions In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 7 to July 1. Major issues in 2015 Major issues in the 2015 legislative session included taxes, workers’ compensation, filing the $50-million budget gap, minimum wage increases, and casinos.[20][21] 2014 See also:Dates of 2014 state legislative sessions In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 8 through June 13. Major issues in 2014 Major issues in the 2014 legislative session included capital punishment, a proposed casino, raising fuel taxes for road improvement, Medicaid expansion, and a return of the state minimum wage.[22][23][24] 2013 See also:Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 2 to July 1. Major issues in 2013 Major issues in the 2013 legislative session included the state's budget deficit, education funding, state pensions, and abortion.[25] 2012 See also:Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions In 2012, the legislature was in session from January 4 through June 27. Major issues in 2012 Major issues on the agenda included economic development, job creation, same-sex marriage, and gambling.[26] 2011 In 2011, the legislature was in session from January 5 through July 1.[27] 2010 In 2010, the legislature was in session from January 6 to July 1.[28]

About legislative sessions in New Hampshire

TheTenth Amendment of theU.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.^[29] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions,legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

The Second Part of the New Hampshire Constitution establishes when theNew Hampshire General Court, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Article 3 of the Second Part states that the General Court is to convene annually on the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday in January. Additionally, in even-numbered years, the General Court is to meet on the first Wednesday of December for organizational purposes.

Legislative roles and procedures

Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includesveto overrides,the role of the legislature in the state budget,procedures for filling membership vacancies, andredistricting.

Veto overrides

See also:Veto overrides in state legislatures

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in New Hampshire are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.

Authority:Executive Power, Article 44 of theNew Hampshire Constitution.

Role in state budget

See also:New Hampshire state budget and finances

New Hampshireon

Check outBallotpedia articles about policy in your state on:

Budgets •Civil liberties •Education •Elections •Energy •Environment •Healthcare •Pensions

The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:^[30]

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies inAugust.
2. State agencies submit their requests byOctober 1.
3. Public hearings are held inNovember.
4. Thegovernor submits his or her proposed budget to theNew Hampshire State Legislature byFebruary 15.
5. The legislature adopts a budget inMay. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
6. The biennial budget cycle begins inJuly.

New Hampshire is one of six states in which the governor cannot exerciseline item veto authority.^[30][31]

InNew Hampshire, the governor is required by statute to submit a balanced budget. In turn, the legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.^[30]

Committees

See also:List of committees in New Hampshire state government

Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

• Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
• Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
• Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The New Hampshire State Senate has 12 standing committees:

Constitutional amendments

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process forreferring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states,initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are alsomany other types of statewide measures.

The methods in which the New Hampshire Constitution can be amended:

See also:Article 100 of the New Hampshire Constitution andLaws governing ballot measures in New Hampshire

There are two paths to altering theNew Hampshire Constitution: Alegislatively referred constitutional amendment or aconstitutional convention.

Legislature

See also:Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

A 60% vote is required during one legislative session for theNew Hampshire State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 240 votes in theNew Hampshire House of Representatives and 15 votes in theNew Hampshire State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

In New Hampshire, an amendment needs to receive support from two-thirds (66.67%) of the votes cast on the measure.

Convention

See also:Convention-referred constitutional amendment

According to theNew Hampshire Constitution, a question about whether to hold a state constitutional convention is toautomatically appear on the state's ballot every 10 years starting in 1972. New Hampshire is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question.

The table below shows the last and next constitutional convention question election years:

See also

Elections	New Hampshire State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2026 New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2024 New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2022 New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2020 New Hampshire State Senate elections, 2018	New Hampshire General Court New Hampshire House of Representatives Governor of New Hampshire New Hampshire Supreme Court	State legislative elections:2026,2025,2024,2023,2022,2021,2020,2019, and2018	State government trifectas State government triplexes State executives State courts Ballot measures The State Legislative Decade

External links

• New Hampshire General Court
• New Hampshire State Senate
• New Hampshire House of Representatives

Footnotes

	v • e State ofNew Hampshire Concord (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? |Elections in 2026 |How to vote |How to run for office |Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? |U.S. President |U.S. Congress |Federal courts |State executives |State legislature |State and local courts |Counties |Cities |School districts |Public policy