"1st in Nation Primary" license plates on sale at the New Hampshire State House.

CONCORD — The statewide essay contest for high school seniors, which debuted last year under the sponsorship of New Hampshire Leadership PAC, has begun accepting submissions as the second annual contest gets underway.

Described as “a campaign that encourages students to think creatively about the state’s great heritage of hosting the First in the Nation primary and the benefits it provides to the country,” the contest is open to all high school seniors in New Hampshire.

The essays must be between 500 and 800 words in length, and must be submitted by April 8.

Winners will be announced on May 6, followed by an awards presentation program on May 18.

Participants are asked to articulate the benefits, to both the state and the nation, of New Hampshire conducting the First in the Nation presidential primary.

“As a small state, it is an honor and a privilege to be able to bring so many presidential candidates with a vast array of voices to the Granite State every four years,” said Chris Ager, NH Republican National Committeeman. “This next generation of young leaders will be inheriting the First in the Nation tradition, hopefully, and we want to inspire them to not only vote, but to also be actively engaged in the process,” he added.

The essay contest is timely since New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, who has served as the watchdog of New Hampshire’s First in the Nation presidential primary, announced his retirement last week.

“Although other states have attempted to displace this role in the past, New Hampshire has been the home of the First in the Nation presidential primary since 1920,” said Frank Edelblut, commissioner of education. “This essay contest provides a platform for local youth to stress the significance of this tradition and highlight its weight in the road to the presidency.”

Essays should be emailed in PDF format to NHCommitteeman@protonmail.com, or sent by mail to “Essay, P.O. Box 6052, Amherst, NH 03031.”

Cash prizes are available for the top three entries.

For more information, go to chrisager.com/essay-contest/.

–Article submitted by Kimberly Houghton, communications administrator, New Hampshire Department of Education