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By Jordan King
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Democrat Bobbi Boudman flipped a Republican seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives on Tuesday.
She defeated Republican Dale Fincher in the special election for Carroll County District 7, according to the New Hampshire Journal. The flip is the latest in a string of special elections Democrats have won since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Newsweek has contacted offices for Boudman and Fincher for comment via email outside normal working hours.
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Why It Matters
Carroll County District 7—which includes Ossipee, Tuftonboro and Wolfeboro—supported Trump in both 2020 and 2024, according to political newspaper the Downballot, underscoring the significance of the Democratic win.
While Republicans hold a 214-178 advantage in the House—with one independent and the remaining seats vacant—all 400 seats are up for election in November, and Boudman's victory has bolstered Democrats' hopes of taking control of the statehouse.
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What To Know
Boudman defeated Fincher by a 50.9 percent to 47.2 percent margin, receiving 2,207 votes to her opponent's 2,043 out of 4,331 ballots cast, the NH Journal reported.
In the 2024 election, Republican state Representative Glenn Cordelli defeated Boudman with 56.8 percent of the vote to her 43.1 percent, New Hampshire Elections Database records show.
The seat became vacant after Cordelli resigned, having moved out of state for family reasons, the New Hampshire Bulletin reported. His departure in November prompted the special election to fill the Carroll County District 7 vacancy.
The Republican nominee, Fincher, previously worked as a Christian nonprofit speaker and investment firm founder and entered the GOP primary as a write-in after recently moving into the district, according to the Downballot.
The contest featured sharp contrasts on education policy, with Fincher backing New Hampshire's "Education Freedom Accounts" voucher program and Boudman opposing the initiative, the outlet reported.
What People Are Saying
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee wrote on X: "Rep.-elect Bobbi Boudman just FLIPPED a New Hampshire House seat in a district that Trump won in both 2020 and 2024! Tonight's victory is the latest proof point of our momentum as we prepare to flip both chambers in the New Hampshire legislature this November."
DLCC President Heather Williams said in a statement: "Tuesdays are becoming a headache for state Republicans across the country as they suffer one stunning defeat after another. Bobbi Boudman's flip in New Hampshire tonight is just the latest in a string of 28 Democratic state legislative flips since Trump's election. These wins aren't a flash in a pan—together, they tell an undeniable story of Democratic momentum as voters reject Republicans and blame them for soaring costs. The DLCC isn't taking our foot off the gas as we gear up for a historic November. This is the year to transform power in state legislatures—we're only just getting started."
Dale Fincher wrote on X: "Big thanks to all my supporters and the local support. We put in our best effort but couldn't come up with the numbers. Liberty and goodness lives on with all of us. The work continues."
What Happens Next
With all 400 seats in the New Hampshire House on the ballot, both parties are expected to intensify organizing and fundraising ahead of November, with Democrats seeking to narrow or overcome the GOP's current edge.
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