Republican contender Jay Ruais will square off against former state senator and current Ward 1 Alderman Kevin Cavanaugh this November to determine who will succeed Joyce Craig as mayor of the state’s largest city.
Unofficial results from Tuesday’s nonpartisan city primary show Ruais topped the ticket in the mayoral primary with 4,296 votes, while Cavanaugh finished second with 2,570 votes.
Ward 2 Alderman Will Stewart finished third with 1,987 and Alderman-at-Large June Trisciani was fourth with 1,455.
“Today, the people of Manchester spoke clearly,” Ruais said after winning 11 of 12 wards. “Manchester wants to see an end to the homeless crisis and safety restored on our streets and in our neighborhoods. The choice this year is clear. Do we want to continue with the status quo? Or finally fix our problems to reach our full potential?
“My opponent has served as an Alderman for 8 years, yet has done nothing to address the issues that matter most to us here in Manchester. Kevin Cavanaugh’s record speaks for itself — he is another rubber stamp for the status quo in Manchester.”
Cavanaugh told supporters he is “totally humbled by having this opportunity to lead my hometown, my city.”
“Everything we talk about, it comes down to housing … if we can get affordable housing, if we can get market-rate and workforce housing, that’s going to help the situation,” Cavanaugh said. “I want to work with builders from around the city to help work with government and builders to bring more units to the market. We all need that.”
Craig, who served three terms, is running for governor.
The general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Primaries for aldermen were on the ballot in several wards, along with the citywide mayoral race. There were no primary races for school board seats.
According to City Clerk Matt Normand, there are 55,632 registered voters in Manchester as of Sept. 14.
Of those, 18,946 are registered Democrats, 14,7643 Republicans, and 21,923 are undeclared.
Unofficial results show 10,308 voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s primary.
Although municipal elections in Manchester are nonpartisan, the reality is races for major offices — particularly mayor — typically feature candidates backed by the major parties.
The mayor’s office was occupied by a steady string of Republicans from 2006 to 2018, when Craig defeated current Executive Councilor Ted Gatsas.
Chris Ager, chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, congratulated Ruais on his successful primary bid.
“After years of decline under Democrat mayors, Jay’s vision for a new Manchester is exactly what we need,” Ager said in a statement. “He’ll bolster public safety, improve education, solve the homelessness crisis, and bring a strong economic future to the Queen City. “
New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley congratulated Cavanaugh, referring to Ruais in a statement as a “carpetbagger.”
“Kevin Cavanaugh is a lifelong resident of Manchester and a proud graduate of Manchester public schools,” Buckley said in a statement. “We trust that, in the mayoral contest to come, residents of Manchester will elect a mayor who represents and understands this community.”
Mayoral candidate Kevin Cavanaugh, with Mayor Joyce Craig, greets the crowd at Webster Elementary School during primary voting day in Manchester.
THOMAS ROY/UNION LEADER
Buckley also thanked Trisciani and Stewart for running “fantastic races” and serving as “outstanding examples of community service.”
Trisciani issued a statement congratulating Cavanaugh on his finish, saying she looks forward to supporting his campaign.
“Now is the time to come together as a party for the best of our city,” Trisciani said.
Aldermanic races
Three people were on the primary ballot seeking the Ward 1 alderman seat currently occupied by Cavanaugh — former Manchester Public Works Director Kevin Sheppard, city planning board Chair Bryce Kaw-uh, and Chris Morgan, founder of the Manchester Basketball League and a 1987 Central graduate.
Morgan was the top vote getter with 832 votes, and Kaw-uh second with 588. Sheppard finished third with 452.
Incumbent Tony Sapienza was on the ballot seeking reelection to the Ward 5 alderman seat, opposed by Kathleen Paquette, Marcus Ponce de Leon, and Richard Komi.
Paquette topped the ticket with 149 votes, and Sapienza second with 114. Ponce de Leon was third with 61 votes, Komi fourth with 46.
In Ward 11, four people were in the running for the alderman seat, after five-term incumbent Norm Gamache decided not to seek reelection.
Norm Vincent was tops with 201 votes, and school board member Nicole Leapley second with 181 votes. Russ Ouellette was third with 123 votes, and Andre Rosa fourth with 68.
