New Hampshire Senate Explained

New Hampshire State Senate
Legislature:New Hampshire General Court
Coa Pic:Seal of New Hampshire.svg
Session Room:New Hampshire State Senate.jpg
House Type:Upper house
Term Limits:None
New Session:December 7, 2022
Leader1 Type:President
Leader1:Jeb Bradley (R)
Election1:December 7, 2022
Leader2 Type:President pro tempore
Leader2:James Gray (R)
Election2:December 7, 2022
Leader3 Type:Majority Leader
Leader3:Sharon Carson (R)
Election3:December 7, 2022
Leader4 Type:Minority Leader
Leader4:Donna Soucy (D)
Election4:December 2, 2020
Term Length:2 years
Authority:Part Second, New Hampshire Constitution
Salary:$200/term + mileage
Members:24
Last Election1:November 8, 2022
(24 seats)
Next Election1:November 5, 2024
(24 seats)
Redistricting:Legislative control
Structure1:Senate_Diagram_State_of_New_Hampshire_2014.svg
Structure1 Res:250px
Political Groups1:Majority

Minority

Meeting Place:State Senate Chamber
New Hampshire State House
Concord, New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Senate is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court, alongside the lower New Hampshire House of Representatives. The Senate has been meeting since 1784.[1] The Senate consists of 24 members representing Senate districts based on population. There are 14 Republicans and 10 Democrats currently serving in the Senate.

History

Under the 1776 Constitution, two chambers of the legislature were formed: the House of Assembly and the Council, the predecessors to the modern-day House of Representatives and Senate. The Council was originally elected by the House and was composed of twelve members: five from Rockingham County; two each from Cheshire County, Hillsborough County, and Strafford County; and one from Grafton County.[2]

In 1784, the state constitution was entirely rewritten, and the upper chamber was reconstituted as the popularly elected Senate. It was originally composed of twelve members to be elected from multi-member districts drawn by the legislature,[3] but this was increased to twenty-four members in 1879. Until districts were drawn, the apportionment of the Senate was continued from the 1776 Constitution. This constitution also imposed a majority-vote requirement for State Senate elections. If no candidate won a majority of the vote, a vacancy was declared and the full General Court would pick from the top two candidates. Similarly, if a vacancy occurred while the legislature was in session, the General Court would pick the successor from the top two remaining candidates. The constitution was amended in 1889 to provide that session vacancies would be filled by special elections and in 1912 to abolish the majority-vote requirement altogether.[4]

Between 1784 and 1912, more than 200 state senate vacancies were filled by a full vote of the legislature. During some years, nearly 60% of the State Senate was selected through this method, which frequently determined which party controlled the Senate majority. An analysis of the vacancy-filling patterns shows that the General Court was overwhelmingly likely to fill vacancies based on the party affiliation of the eligible candidates. In cases in which session vacancies were filled, the General Court occasionally selected third-party or independent candidates, who received no more than a handful of votes, over opposing major-party candidates.[4]

The predictability of the vacancy-filling procedures sometimes led to conflict. In 1875, outgoing Democratic Governor James A. Weston exercised his constitutional power to issue "summonses" to the winners of legislative elections to avoid the General Court filling two vacancies. In two districts, Democratic candidates won pluralities, but not majorities; the narrow Republican majority in the State House likely meant that the Republican candidates would be elected. The Senate was tied 5–5, so the allocation of the two contested seats would determine control. Weston, along with the Executive Council, invalidated votes cast for Republican Senators in two districts on the grounds that the votes were not cast in the candidates' "Christian names." They instead issued summonses to the Democratic candidates, who were seated by the Senate. The 7–5 Democratic majority then rejected a Republican challenge to the Democrats' qualifications, and the Republican minority sought an advisory opinion from the New Hampshire Supreme Court.[4] The state supreme court concluded that "the action of the senate is final," and affirmed the seating of the Senators.[5]

In 1912, the voters approved a constitutional amendment removing the majority-vote requirement for all elections. That year, however, the gubernatorial election failed to produce a majority winner, as did four State Senate elections. After concluding that the amendment applied after the election, not to it, the General Court proceeded to fill the vacancies. An unexpected alliance between Democrats and Progressive Republicans led to Democrat Samuel D. Felker elected Governor, Henry F. Hollis elected to the U.S. Senate, four Democrats selected to fill the State Senate vacancies, and a Progressive Republican as the Speaker of the House.[6]

2022–2024 biennial session

Composition[7]

AffiliationParty

(Shading indicates majority caucus)

Total
DemocraticRepublicanVacant
nowrap style="font-size:80%"End of 164th General Court1013231
nowrap style="font-size:80%"165th General Court1014240
nowrap style="font-size:80%"166th General Court1410240
nowrap style="font-size:80%"167th General Court1014240
nowrap style="font-size:80%"Start of 168th General Court1014240
Latest voting share

Leadership

Position[8] Name Party District
3
14
6
19
7
18
13

Committee leadership

Committee[9] Chair Vice Chair Ranking Member
Capital Budget Daniel Innis (R) James Gray (R) Lou D'Allesandro (D)
CommerceBill Gannon (R)Denise Ricciardi (R) Donna Soucy (D)
EducationRuth Ward (R) Carrie Gendreau (R) Suzanne Prentiss (D)
Election Law, Municipal Affairs and RedistrictingJames Gray (R) Keith Murphy (R) Donna Soucy (D)
Energy and Natural ResourcesKevin Avard (R) Howard Pearl (R)David Watters (D)
Executive Departments and AdministrationHoward Pearl (R) Sharon Carson (R) Rebecca Perkins Kwoka (D)
FinanceJames Gray (R)Daniel Innis (R) Lou D'Allesandro (D)
Health and Human ServicesRegina Birdsell (R) Kevin Avard (R) Becky Whitley (D)
JudiciarySharon Carson (R)Bill Gannon (R) Becky Whitley (D)
Rules and Enrolled BillsKevin Avard (R)Sharon Carson (R)Cindy Rosenwald (D)
TransportationDenise Ricciardi (R)David Watters (D)N/A
Ways and MeansTimothy Lang Sr. (R)Lou D'Allesandro (D)N/A

Members of the New Hampshire Senate[7]

District Senator Party ResidenceFirst elected
1Carrie GendreauRepLittleton2022
2Timothy Lang Sr.RepSanbornton2022
3Jeb BradleyRepWolfeboro2009
4David WattersDemDover2012
5Suzanne PrentissDemLebanon2020
6James GrayRepRochester2016
7Daniel InnisRepBradford2022 (2016-2018)
8Ruth WardRepStoddard2016
9Denise RicciardiRepBedford2020
10Donovan FentonDemKeene2022
11Shannon ChandleyDemAmherst2022 (2018–2020)
12Kevin AvardRepNashua2020 (2014–2018)
13Cindy RosenwaldDemNashua2018
14Sharon CarsonRepLondonderry2008
15Becky WhitleyDemContoocook2020
16Keith MurphyRepManchester2022
17Howard PearlRepLoudon2022
18Donna SoucyDemManchester2012
19Regina BirdsellRepHampstead2014
20Lou D'AllesandroDemManchester1998
21Rebecca KwokaDemPortsmouth2020
22Daryl AbbasRepSalem2022
23Bill GannonRepSandown2020 (2016–2018)
24Debra AltschillerDemStratham2022

Past composition of the Senate

See main article: Political party strength in New Hampshire.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New Hampshire Senate. gencourt.state.nh.us. 2018-05-06.
  2. 3. New Hampshire. 1776.
  3. 2. 34. New Hampshire. 1784.
  4. Yeargain. Tyler. 2021. New England State Senates: Case Studies for Revisiting the Indirect Election of Legislators. University of New Hampshire Law Review. 19. 2. April 28, 2021.
  5. Opinion of the Justices. 56. N.H.. 570 . 573. N.H.. 1875. https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/59145ee3add7b04934210e0d.
  6. Book: Wright, James. 1987. The Progressive Yankees: Republican Reformers in New Hampshire, 1906–1916. University Press of New England. 143–44. 9781584652618.
  7. Web site: New Hampshire Senate. gencourt.state.nh.us. 2023-02-24.
  8. Web site: New Hampshire Senate. gencourt.state.nh.us. 2023-02-24.
  9. Web site: Senate Standing Committees. 2021-08-17. gencourt.state.nh.us.