Donchess, Soucy Advance To Final Mayoral Election In November

NASHUA, NH — Nearly 6,700 Gate City residents voted in the three-way mayoral primary on Tuesday, sending the incumbent and a challenger to the final election.

According to unofficial returns, Mayor Jim Donchess, the incumbent, won the primary with 3,542 votes. Michael Soucy, a Hillsborough county commissioner, came in second with 2,950 votes. A third candidate, Mark Gallant, an area electrician, came in a distance third, with 178 votes. There were 14 write-in votes and four undervotes — voters who blanked the ballot.

Donchess ran strong in five of the city’s nine voting wards, with Soucy bettering the incumbent in Wards 4, 6, and 7. In Ward 5, two votes separated the candidates.

The city clerk’s office said 6,688 voters participated.

Voters in Ward 4 will return to the polls on Sept. 19 for the state representative special election — David Narkunas and Joost Baumeister, while Democrats have a single candidate on the ballot, Paige Beauchemin. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

According to City Clerk Daniel Healey, the primary date is set by the city charter. The governor established the special election in Ward 4 and the executive council approved it.

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