CONCORD, NH — Today, New Hampshire House Republicans voted to pass HB 75, an undemocratic bill that will gerrymander Strafford County in favor of Republican county commissioners.
While the bill was in committee of conference, Republicans “replaced the two opposing Democratic legislators with two Republicans.” This action allowed the Republicans on the committee to unanimously vote on the bill, and pass it on to the House and Senate.
HB 75 will now divide Strafford County into three new districts and will go into effect in the 2024 election. The new districts will put “current longtime Strafford County Commission Chairman George Maglaras in the same district as Deanna Rollo, another veteran commissioner. Both are Democrats.” As a result, this traditionally Democrat-leaning county now gives Republicans an unfair competitive advantage.
In response, NHDP Chair Ray Buckley released the following statement:
“HB 75 is nothing more than a corrupt attempt to create new Republican seats in the 2024 commission race at the expense of Strafford County voters. Not only that, this act of illegitimate redistricting would eliminate the ability for the only woman on the Strafford County Commission to be re-elected. New Hampshire Republicans have shown time after time they will stop at nothing to carve up our voting districts like a ham, taking the best slices for themselves.”