Primaries and incumbent contests down in New Hampshire this year—record lows since 2010

In 2026, 25% of the state legislative incumbents running for election in New Hampshire will face primary contests, a record low since 2010.

In total, 77 incumbents face contested primaries across the New Hampshire House and Senate. The average number of incumbents contested each year from 2010 to 2024 was 111. Sixteen of the contested incumbents are Democrats, and 61 are Republicans.