Concord Election Results 2021: Mayor Bouley Easily Wins 8th Term

CONCORD, NH — Concord’s longest-serving mayor cruised to another term again this year in another relatively sleepy municipal election cycle on Tuesday.

Jim Bouley won his eighth term against Taylor Hall, a newcomer to Concord who campaigned on ending apathy in city elections, by a more than three-to-one margin, 2,786 to 783. Bouley ran strong in all wards, as he has in the past, while Hall performed best in his home ward, Ward 2, where he received more than a third of the vote.

Bouley said he wanted to thank the voters of Concord for “having the confidence” for allowing him to serve the city for two more years.

Concord NH Patch is updating this post in real-time. Refresh for updates.

“We have so much more to do in the next two years, coming out of COVID-19," he said. "But I look forward to working with the council, and focusing on expanding our tax base, ensuring our public safety is properly funded, and making sure we continue to provide the high quality of services the citizens enjoy and deserve.”

ALSO READ:

• Concord NH Election Results: Polls Close

In a phone call to Bouley not long after the unofficial results were released, Hall conceded to the mayor but said he looked forward to running again in two years.

"I wanted to congratulate Jim on his win — this was a very interesting campaign and as a political novice," he said. "I am proud to have done so well against such an established politician."

Did you like this story? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch!

During the election, Hall said he got the opportunity to meet many of his neighbors.

"Listening to their stories, successes, and concerns, has made me appreciate my community so much more," he said. "I was able to bring up several issues that Jim still hasn't fully addressed — and that many residents of Concord still think are a conflict of interest for him."

Unofficial returns said 3,680 residents cast ballots, about 14.3 percent, after more than 8,000 voters were purged from the voter's lists in September as part of the 10-year post-Census removal of inactive voters.

Concord City Council

There were only three competitive city council races this year — in Ward 1, where incumbent Brent Todd was challenged by William Barton, and a single open seat, in Ward 5, where Stacey Brown faced off against Mark Coen, a former at-large city council. In a last-minute challenge, Joe Shoemaker mounted a write-in effort to unseat Zandra Rice Hawkins in Ward 10.

With 11.4 percent of voters casting ballots in Ward 1, Todd easily bested Barton, 241 to 63.

During his re-election effort, Todd focused on a number of accomplishments in Penacook including new housing and the Exit 17 Market Basket project. Barton failed to participate in two debates and did not reveal any specific reasons for running in his candidate profile.

Ward 5 also has a new city councilor: Stacey Brown easily beat Mark Coen, a long-time city councilor who left office in 2019 after three terms, by a nearly two-to-one margin, 548 to 277. Ward 5 had the highest turnout in the city, 28.8 percent, driven mostly by the ward council race.

Brown and Coen tackled the open Ward 5 seat differently. Brown focused on climate concerns and tapped into the West End's political activist crowd. Some wrote handwritten notes on behalf of the candidate while the homes of police staffers around the ward also donned her campaign signs (her husband is a city detective). Coen spoke about ward issues, like parking, and had the support of many from the business community. Brown also outspent Coen handily.

Brown thanked Coen for his prior service to the city and said she was "incredibly honored" to be elected and said she would be a strong advocate for constituents.

“I thank all of my supporters for believing in me and providing this opportunity to further serve the city," she said. "Concord has many exciting opportunities ahead to invest in public infrastructure, build a clean energy future, and pursue equitable and just policies. Over the course of this campaign, I had many conversations with community members and know that Concord is eager to continue to move forward with these critical priorities and I am excited to be a part of making that happen.”

The surprise of the day was an early morning email by Shoemaker, who, about 90 minutes before polls opened, said he was mounting a write-in campaign against Rice Hawkins. The candidate, who lost a special election in March 2019 for the seat by 102 votes, was critical of Rice Hawkins' activist ties as well as her recent proposal to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day without any public comment.

Rice Hawkins countered with notes on Facebook, saying she had been serving the district and asking supporters to get out and vote. She easily bested the write-in effort, 347 to 97 with about 16.6 percent of voters participating in the city's most populated ward.

Rice Hawkins thanked all of her supporters for sharing her vision and sending her back to the council.

“I am excited to be returning to City Council to represent the interests and concerns of Ward 10 constituents," she said. "Concord is a great community and I am eager to continue the work of investing in smart policies and plans that ensure strong public services, good roads, economic development, clean energy, accessible recreational spaces, government transparency and accountability, and making sure Concord is a strong, welcoming, and inclusive community for all of us. As a mother and a community leader, I know how important it is to make sure that our community and our policies build toward a future we can all be a part of and be proud of."

Fred Keach and Amanda Grady Sexton, both incumbents, were unopposed for two at-large city council seats. Incumbents returning to their seats because they were unopposed include Erle Pierce in Ward 2; Jennifer Kretovic in Ward 3; Karen McNamara in Ward 4, who won the special election for the open seat in July; Keith Nyhan in Ward 7; and Candace Bouchard in Ward 9.

Charter Commission Races

The 2021 Concord School District Charter Commission, a 10-year review, will have both new members and people who worked on the charter in 2011.

Elizabeth "Betty" Hoadley, William Ardinger, and Clint Cogswell, who all served on the commission 10 years ago, won one of three at-large charter commission seats. Robert Washburn came in fourth and Roy Schweiker a distant fifth.

Hoadley won nine of the 10 city wards but placed third in Ward 5, which was won by Ardinger.

In the District A race, Tom Croteau and Tracey Lesser easily won the two seats while Benton "Chick" Smith, Matthew Fisk, and Patrice Myers trailed far behind. Croteau won every ward in the district.

All but two candidates in both competitive races said they would support SAU 8 autonomy with most of the candidates saying they thought the current charter was fine or proposed minor changes to the way district school board members are elected.

Wilbur “Bill” Glahn and Nancy Kane, both former school board members, ran unopposed for two District B charter commission seats.

Cathryn Vaughn and Eric Weiner ran unopposed for the two District C charter commission seats.

Smith said in an email that he wanted to thank debate organizers as well as those responsible for bringing to the citizens of Concord the opportunity to meet the candidates for the various municipal positions.

"While I was unsuccessful I very much enjoyed the experience and have a much greater appreciation for those who serve," he said.

Incumbents Return To School Board

Long-time Board of Education member Barbara Higgins and Pamela Walsh, who has been on the board for about a year, will return to their seats. They will be joined by new member Robert Cotton.

Timothy Benitez withdrew from the race a week before the election.

Walsh won every ward in the city.

Candidate Profiles

The following candidates submitted free Patch candidate profiles:

Patrice Myers, District A Charter Commission Candidate

Benton 'Chick' Smith, District A Charter Commission Candidate

Bill Ardinger, Concord School Charter Commission Candidate

Robert Washburn, Concord School Charter Commission Candidate

Roy Schweiker, Concord School Charter Commission Candidate

Barbara Higgins, Concord School Board Candidate

Pamela Walsh, Concord School Board Candidate

Tom Croteau, District A Charter Commission Candidate

Tracey Lesser, District A Charter Commission Candidate

Taylor Hall, Concord Mayoral Candidate

Matthew Fisk, District A Charter Commission Candidate

Clinton Cogswell, Concord School Charter Commission Candidate

Elizabeth 'Betty' Hoadley, Concord School Charter Commission

William Barton, Ward 1 Concord City Council Candidate

Robert (Bob) Cotton, Concord School Board Candidate

Bill Glahn, Concord School Charter Commission Candidate

Nancy Kane, Concord School Charter Commission Candidate

Stacey Brown, Ward 5 Concord City Council Candidate

Brent Todd, Ward 1 Concord City Council Candidate

Fred Keach, At-Large Concord City Council Candidate

Erle Pierce, Ward 2 Concord City Council Candidate

Mark Coen, Ward 5 Concord City Council Candidate

2021 Concord NH Patch Election Coverage

Ward 10 Concord City Council Candidate Launches Write-In Effort

Election Day In Concord NH: Where, When To Vote; Who's Running

Ward 1 Concord City Council Challenger A No-Show At Debate: Video

Past Members, Challengers Debate Concord School Charter: Videos

Concord School Board Candidate Drops Out Of 2021 Race

Candidates For Concord Mayor Offer Similar Views At Debate: Video

Ward 5 Concord City Council Candidates Debate Access To Services

Concord City Council Financial Filings Show Low Dough Races

Population Swings In Concord Will Lead To Changed Ward Maps

More Concord School Candidates Jump In On Last Day Of Filing

Concord City Council, School Board, Charter Candidates Emerge

Navigating The Sordid Past Of Concord’s School District Charter

More Incumbents File To Run For Concord City Council

Jim’s In: Concord’s Mayor Files For Unprecedented 8th Term: Watch

Concord Mayor, City Council, School Election Signups Begin Friday

Concord School Board, Charter Seat Signups Begin Sept. 3

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. Follow the New Hampshire Patch Politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.