The results of the Sept. 12 Mayoral primary election show Mayor James Donchess with a 592-vote lead over challenger Michael Soucy. Courtesy image/City of Nashua

NASHUA – Mayor James Donchess is continuing his drive for a third term having garnered 3,542 votes in the Sept. 12 mayoral primary election.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Michael Soucy received 2,950 votes while business owner Mark Gallant finished in a distant third with 178 votes. Although Gallant will not be on the ballot in the Nov. 7 general election, he has vowed to continue his campaign as a write-in candidate.

The results of the primary show Donchess with a 592-vote lead over Soucy as both campaigns continue into the fall.

“We’re going to continue to work hard, we know that more people will vote in November,” said Donchess, adding that he expects the voter turnout in the general election to be upwards of 15,000. “I want to thank the people who did vote, the overall objective is to bring out the voters.”

The strongest showings for all three candidates were in Ward 1 where Donchess received 545 votes, Soucy received 469 votes and Gallant received 40 votes.

On the ward level, Soucy topped the ticket in Wards 4, 6 and 7. In Ward 5, Donchess and Soucy were separated by just two votes, with Soucy picking up 461 votes while 463 votes went to the mayor.

Soucy said he remains optimistic going into November.

“He is really in striking range,” he said of Donchess, adding that approximately 15,000 residents came out to vote in the last general election.

However, beating Donchess will be no easy task. According to the City Clerk’s Office, Donchess won City Hall’s corner office by nearly 2,000 votes in 2015 when he defeated Chris Williams, the former CEO of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce. Until this year, Donchess has not been opposed.

The voter turnout was fairly light with 13 percent of registered voters casting ballots. From the 6,688 votes that were cast, Ward 1 had the highest turnout at 1,055.

Gallant could not be reached for comment.

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