McNamara Wins Ward 4 Concord City Council Special Election: Watch

CONCORD, NH — A deluge of morning showers did not keep hundreds voters away from the polls on Tuesday to cast ballots in the Ward 4 Concord City Council special election to finish off the remainder of Meredith Hatfield’s term.

Karen McNamara, a long-time resident of Concord and an educator in Manchester, eked out a victory with 135 votes to Connor Spern’s 110 votes. Edith Chiasson, another long-time resident and a state employee, placed third with 96 votes.

There were no blanks (undervotes) or overvotes.

Hatfield resigned earlier this year after moving out of the city.

At the polls, all three candidates and members of their families and friends stood by, greeting voters and exchanging pleasantries. Later, Concord Mayor Jim Bouley and Ward 3 City Council Jennifer Kretovic joined them to await the results.

Ward Moderator John Williams announces the results on July 13.

Spern, a newcomer to the city, was at the polls at 6:30 a.m. She was a bit tired but enthusiastic by the turnout and greetings she was getting at the polls.

“I think it was a great turnout out, especially considering the weather,” she said. “I saw a lot of familiar faces.”

Spern said it was interesting to see how many people all three candidates knew, adding, “I think that happens anywhere in Concord,” with a giggle. She said there were “awesome, amazing women,” helping her get out the vote as well as her husband and grandparents, too, standing with her — and she was grateful for the support. Spern called the race “an incredible experience.”

When asked if she would have done anything differently, Spern said, “absolutely,” especially around organization and engaging with voters.

“If I said, ‘No,’ I’d be lying,” she said. “I can’t say that I really came into (it) with anything other than strong people skills and knowing what I wanted to do (and say).”

Spern said she made a lot of “positive, awesome connections along the way, which helped me learn those skills quickly.”

Chiasson called the day “interesting,” especially “when the sky opened up” and it began raining.

But, unlike prior elections, everyone was cordial, sharing umbrellas — with the candidates and their supporters “getting soaked” and “sharing good humor,” she said.

“I think that is what carried all of us through,” Chiasson added.

Chiasson said she was hoping for better turnout — offering a worrying smile about 30 minutes before the polls closed.

“I got to meet a lot of new people who came up to me and told me they were voting for me … that was awesome,” she said. “A lot of young people who came over, too. I appreciated that because people imagine that I am good for only one demographic.”

Chiasson said she got a lot of thumbs up and sensed she was going to do better than she did in the special election in 2019. This, her third try for city council, was much more organized and better financed, and led to a near doubling of her ballots but still fell short.

“What I saw come through was that blend and variety of people that I was aiming for. Win or lose, I felt like I hit the target. I touched people,” Chiasson said, with her husband nodding in agreement.

Two firefighters were standing next to McNamara while she was texting people, working to get voters to the polls in the waning minutes of the voting. She said the higher turnout when compared to 2019 showed all three candidates worked really hard to get voters to the polls.

McNamara, while knocking on doors the last few days, said she was “hearing some good things … and it just kept me going.”

There were a handful of people in the late stages of the race who were not pleasant to talk to, McNamara said. But she was able to defuse them by talking about the issues, she said. After the results came in, McNamara thanked her supporters for helping her win.

The number of voters casting ballots, a measly 9.9 percent, was more than the June 2019 special election for the Ward 4 seat, where 303 voters participated. Turnout in a regular odd-year election in Ward 4 tends to be about 12 to 13 percent. In November 2013, when there were a number of competitive municipal races, about 17 percent of voters cast ballots.

ALSO READ:

• Concord City Council Ward 4 Special Election Voter’s Guide
• Spern: Concord City Council Could Use A Young Person's New Ideas
• Chiasson Says Concord City Council Needs Grandma's Commonsense
• For McNamara, Concord City Council Seat Is About Public Service
• Thousands Raised In Ward 4 Concord City Council Special Election
• Concord City Council Candidate Caught Up In Sign Disclaimer Flap
• Edith Chiasson, Concord Ward 4 City Council Candidate
• Karen McNamara, Concord Ward 4 City Council Candidate
• Connor Spern, Concord Ward 4 City Council Candidate
• Third Candidate Files For Concord's Ward 4 Special Election
• Clock Is Ticking On Concord Ward 4 Council Special Election
• Two Candidates File For Concord Ward 4 Council Special Election
• Ward 4 Concord City Councilor To Resign

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