Wilhelm: On The Ballot Or Not, We're All In This Together

By Rep. Matt Wilhelm, InDepth NH

Over the last eighteen months, I have spent countless hours talking with prospective Democratic candidates about running for the New Hampshire House of Representatives. I stand by what I said to the Union Leader’s Kevin Landrigan last week: “There’s no tougher job than trying to get 400 citizens to run for a job that pays only $100 a year and requires a serious commitment of time and dedication.”

As our team at the NH House Democratic Victory Campaign Committee will tell you, recruiting candidates is not glamorous work. It happens one conversation at a time; over coffee, at community events, in small businesses, in backyards, and around kitchen tables. It requires assuring people that public service still matters and that their voice can and will make a difference.

This year, hundreds of Granite Staters answered that call. As of Friday afternoon, 337 Democrats, excluding a few Free Staters masquerading as Dems, filed to run for state representative. Republicans filed 279 candidates, with nearly half facing primary contests. By contrast, Democrats have only a small handful of contested primaries statewide, allowing our nominees to hit the ground running, laser-focused on winning in November.

One of the things I'm most proud of after eight years in public service is that we have built a deeper bench of Democratic House leaders than ever before. That reality became especially clear during filing week.

Across New Hampshire, hundreds of Granite Staters stepped forward to run for the House. In Manchester, strong candidates filed in districts throughout the city, including here in Ward 1, where an incredible team of current and former members plus new recruits, each experienced community leaders in their own right, have filed to run in both our base and floterial districts.

That's exactly what healthy political parties and healthy communities do: create opportunities for new leaders to emerge. Public service should never be about holding a seat indefinitely. It should be about building a stronger team, recruiting the next generation of leaders, and ensuring that talented people are prepared to step forward when the moment calls.

As I thought more about my own plans, I realized that I could make the greatest contribution not by running another campaign myself, but by helping our candidates in Manchester and across the state connect with voters and win. Democrats have an extraordinary opportunity to build a House majority in 2026, and I want to devote my time and energy over the next 146 days to making that happen.

And while I may not be on the ballot this year, I remain steadfast in the commitment I made to House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson and to our entire caucus at the beginning of this term: I will do everything I can to help our candidates connect with their neighbors, win their individual races, and win a Democratic majority. After six years of a Republican trifecta at the State House, it’s time to bring balance back to Concord.

I am so grateful to all of the Democrats who have raised their hands to run for state representative across our state. Some are current legislators seeking another term. Some are former lawmakers returning to public service. Others are candidates running for the first time. They are educators, veterans, healthcare professionals, small business owners, nonprofit leaders, parents, and volunteers. They know their communities, understand the challenges facing working families, and many were identified as candidates because of their demonstrated commitment to bringing people together to solve local challenges. Their willingness to step up and serve gives me tremendous optimism about both the future of our caucus and the future of our state.

The future of the House Democratic Caucus won't be determined by any one candidate. It will be determined by hundreds of Granite Staters who have stepped up to serve their communities and do the hard work of building a better New Hampshire. This year, more people than ever have answered that call. Our bench is deep, our candidates are strong, and my job -- and our job, collectively -- is to help them succeed.

I love campaign season. I can’t wait to get out to every corner of our beautiful state, getting to know and supporting our incredible candidates, and working with local leaders and volunteers to elect a Democratic House majority.

We're all in this together. Let's go win this thing.

Rep. Matt Wilhelm (D-Manchester) is the founding and current chair of the NH House Democratic Victory Campaign Committee. First elected in 2018, Wilhelm served as Minority Leader during the 2023-2024 legislative session after House Democrats came 11 votes and 3 seats short of flipping the 400-member chamber in the 2022 election.

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.