New Hampshire Secretary Of State To Step Down: Video

CONCORD, NH — The nation’s longest-serving secretary of state will step down this week after nearly 45 years of work.

Bill Gardner, 73, announced on Monday he would be retiring and transferring power to David Scanlan, the deputy secretary. Surrounded by Scanlan and other employees and former workers who had a combined service to the office of around 217 years, Gardner said it was time to step down. He said there was no specific reason nor health issue or anything else that motivated his decision. But after taking the oath of office 22 times, Gardner said it was “the smoothest time” to step down while in between presidential primary and presidential elections.

Gardner, while holding back tears at times, said he was proud of the friends and work he had performed with thousands of elected officials and tens of thousands of volunteers who offer time to ensure the state had secure elections.

“I can never give back the so many, extraordinary experiences, that New Hampshire voters and elected officials have given me over the years,” he said, adding the department's “incredible staff” and division employees had made the job easy.

“They are the unsung heroes,” he said. “They have shown their love for this state, over the years, through their dedication and commitment.”

When asked if the state’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary was in jeopardy due to his retirement, he said, “No,” and added that each year New Hampshire was able to go first showed the primary was secure.

After stepping down, Gardner will continue writing and talking about New Hampshire's history, something he said was important to continue. He said all roads lead to the state — not just via the cherished primary but local and state control of elections and the U.S. Constitution itself. Most people do not know, Gardner said, the extraordinary role the state’s residents had played in forming the Constitutional Republic that was America.

Gardner said he would also be working to restore confidence in the electoral process.

It had been worrisome, he said, that as least as far back as 2004, the validity of presidential elections was questioned, repeatedly, with concerns growing, too. Despite what some people may think, Gardner said questioning presidential election results was not a recent phenomenon that began in 2020 with the election of Joe Biden or 2016 with the election of Donald Trump. It was one of the reasons he originally agreed to participate in the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, he said.

Gardner also said it was “an honor” to know Scanlan was willing to take over

“He’s earned my utmost respect and confidence,” Gardner said.

Scanlan said he would have more to say about the future in the coming days.

Praise For Gardner

A number of the state’s politicos showered Gardner with praise for his time in office.

Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH) said Granite Staters owed Gardner “a tremendous debt of gratitude” for his decades of service, preserving open and fair elections, and work preserving the primary.

“We will miss Bill and his vast institutional knowledge of New Hampshire people, politics, and government,” he said. “Here’s to a well-deserved retirement and best wishes from all the Sununus.”

Senate President Chuck Morse (R-Salem) said the retirement announcement offered the end of “a remarkable era in New Hampshire politics” protecting the state’s election “with integrity and patriotism.” Morse added, “He has been a good friend and true statesman. There will never be another Bill Gardner.”

House Speaker Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) also praised Gardner’s passion and defense of the primary but also his work protecting the sanctity of every vote cast in the state.

“(Gardner) was a steadfast leader and truly believed in working together to better our state and making sure the people of NH were heard,” he said. “I wish Secretary Gardner the best in this new chapter of his life and will make sure we keep our First in the Nation status alive.”

Democrats also praised Gardner for his knowledge and service.

Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy thanked Gardner for his many years of service where he offered “unparalleled integrity and security of our elections” that were noted across the country.

“Prior to serving as Secretary of State, Secretary Gardner proudly served the residents of my very own Ward 6 in Manchester as a state representative,” she said. “As Secretary of State, Bill Gardner has been a steadfast champion for New Hampshire’s First-in-the-Nation Presidential Primary — one of our greatest state treasures. Secretary Gardner has fiercely defended our primary over the years, ensuring that Granite Staters play a critical role in our country’s presidential elections.”

Soucy said she looked forward to “honoring this legacy” by ensuring that New Hampshire continued its tradition of robust civic engagement, accessible elections — while ensuring Granite State voters had confidence in the integrity of its elections.

Ray Buckley, the chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, said Gardner had always been the once constant, offering “exemplary quality of the elections in New Hampshire,” despite “dramatic changes” in the nation’s electoral process.

“We must continue this tradition with the next Secretary of State,” he said. “Bill Gardner’s 44-year diligence in preserving the state’s status as the First in the Nation Primary has been laudable and has served the nation well. We all look forward to hearing about New Hampshire history from Bill for many years to come.”

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