Democrats deliver stunning flip in New Hampshire special election

A Democrat won a special election for a state house seat in New Hampshire on Tuesday, flipping a Republican district that Donald Trump carried and marking the latest in a string of 28 Democratic upsets that could usher in a blue wave in the midterms.

Bobbi Boudman beat Republican Dale Fincher in New Hampshire’s Carroll county district 7. It was Boudman’s third try at the seat – she lost to incumbent representative Glenn Cordelli the last two cycles by several points. Cordelli resigned from the seat after moving, leading to the special election on 10 March.

Unofficial results show Boudman winning with about 52% of the vote among the more than 4,000 voters who turned out.

Marissa Hebert, a spokesperson for the New Hampshire Democratic party, noted on X the swing Boudman made in the district: she lost in 2024 by more than 13 points. “Bad day for @NHGOP!” she wrote.

National Democrats pointed to Boudman’s win as part of a pattern of Democrats winning in red and toss-up areas: Democrats have now flipped 28 seats since Trump won in November 2024, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) said. Republicans have not flipped any.

The committee hopes for more wins this year, with a strategy that could deliver the biggest Democratic gains in two decades, Heather Williams, DLCC’s president, said.

“Tuesdays are becoming a headache for state Republicans across the country as they suffer one stunning defeat after another,” she said in statement. “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.”

Democratic National Committee chair, Ken Martin, praised Boudman for running a campaign that focused on solutions for New Hampshire families being squeezed by Trump’s agenda.

“This win is yet another warning sign to Republicans across the country, and a new reality is now sinking in: no Republican seat is safe,” Martin said in statement. “From now until November, Democrats are keeping our foot on the gas and organizing and competing everywhere, including to flip the New Hampshire house and take back power across the country.”

Outside Republican groups, including the Republican State Leadership Committee and Americans for Prosperity, threw in money to help Fincher in the red-leaning district, the Downballot, a political newsletter, reported.

Republicans still hold an advantage in both chambers of the state legislature and the governor’s office in New Hampshire.