NASHUA – Democratic candidate Melanie Levesque will go head-to-head with GOP incumbent Kevin Avard for the New Hampshire state Senate District 12 seat in the Nov. 6 general election.

Unofficial tallies late Tuesday showed Levesque, from Brookline, defeated Greenville native Tom Falter with more than 79 percent of the vote, winning with 3,722 votes, to Falter’s 963.

At press time, preliminary totals showed Avard defeating fellow Nashua native, Alderman Rick Dowd, with 3,271 votes against Dowd’s 1,026, giving him 76 percent of the vote.

Preliminary results in state Senate District 11, meanwhile, showed Shannon Chandley ahead with more than 86 percent of the vote in the race with Roger Tilton. The district includes Milford, Merrimack, Amherst and Wilton.

In District 13, which was uncontested, Democratic candidate

Cindy Rosenwald will run against Republican David Shoenman, as incumbent Sen. Bette Lasky is not seeking re-election.

District 14, also uncontested, will see Democrat Tammy Siekmann face off against Republican incumbent Sharon Carson.

Levesque said Tuesday night that her time in the community, knocking on doors, talking with and listening to residents, helped her understand the issues that are important to Nashua, Hollis and Brookline. She took more than 91 percent of the votes in her native Brookline, as well as 81 percent in Nashua, unofficial results showed.

“I’m thankful to the people who have supported me and all the volunteers who have helped us,” she said, adding she believed she was “on track” with her priorities of education, health care, jobs, infrastructure and others.

“I’m very excited,” she said.

Levesque is currently a member of the Hollis Brookline Coop School Board, the Endowment for Health Advisory Commission, Town Trustee for Brookline and Trustee for the Brookline Community Church.

“I believe in making a difference through service, providing value to those I serve and a government that puts people first,” she told The Telegraph in a letter to the editor. “Making New Hampshire the best place to live, work and retire means we need a robust education system, skilled workers to attract businesses, healthy kids and healthy parents, a clean environment, a sound energy policy that includes a focus on renewables, and respect for each person’s rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Avard told The Telegraph Tuesday night that he was “definitely grateful” for the voters confidence in him, calling it “humbling.” He received more than 70 percent of the vote in Nashua, results showed.

“I feel like I’ve been doing a good job and it’s being reflected in the votes,” he adding, “and I hope to do some more.” Avard “supports the basics” according to his website, and is focused on “getting the drug crisis under control, fixing our roads and bridges, supporting our veterans, funding mental health, passing legislation to assist the free-market in lowering health care costs and making sure our students have first-class schools.”

Chandley, who lives in Amherst, has served three terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, previously serving as chair of the Committee on Resources, Recreation and Development.

According to her website, her key issues are the opioid crisis, health care, education, the economy and gun safety. She also said she will dedicate herself to a “new-old path… a path that brings us together rather than driving us further apart” as it relates to civility and bi-partisanship.

Hannah LaClaire can be reached at 594-1243 or hlaclaire@nashuatelegraph.com.

Newsletter