Ward 4 Concord City Councilor, Zone C School Board Member Out For 2025 Reelection; Signups Start Friday

CONCORD, NH — Several incumbents are making plans and announcing their 2025 reelection intentions as candidates begin filing Friday.

In November, voters will go to the polls to vote for mayor, two of the four at-large city council seats, and one ward city council seat in each ward where they live. One of the two Zone school board seats, representing Wards 1, 2, 3, and 4; Wards 5, 6, and 7; and Wards 8, 9, and 10, will also be decided.

Incumbents running for reelection include citywide candidates, Mayor Byron Champlin, and at-large Concord City Councilors Amanda Grady Sexton and Fred Keach, and councilors Brent Todd in Ward 1, Michele Horne in Ward 2, Jennifer Kretovic in Ward 3, Stacey Brown in Ward 5, and Jeff Foote in Ward 10. Other councilors did not return email requests before publication.

Cara Meeker, the Zone B school board member, will also be running again this year to seek a second term. She was first elected in 2022.

Jim Richards, the Zone A school board member, who has served since his election in 2014, told Patch earlier this month he had not yet decided but was considering running again.

Alex Dellas of Ward 5, whose family owns and runs Boutwell’s Bowling Center, announced in the spring he would be running for mayor.

Concord’s city clerk and the clerk for SAU 8 will be accepting candidate filings for mayor, city council, and Zone district school board seats on Friday through Sept. 15.

Also Read

• Filing For 2025 Concord City Council And School Board Races Begins Sept. 5
• New Hampshire Officials Remind Granite Staters Living In Cities What Documents They Will Need To Vote
• Do The Mayor, Councilors, And School Board Members Represent Concord?

Municipal elections tend to be sleepy affairs in Concord, due in part to the strong city manager position and the autonomous school district in SAU 8.

Councilors and school board members receive a small stipend for their work.

Turnout in odd-year elections typically ranges from 10 to 15 percent. In 2023, even with 13 contested city councilor races, only 27 percent of registered voters in Concord cast ballots — about a third of the turnout for a federal midterm election.

The Merrimack Valley School District in Penacook has a town meeting form of government.

Some Incumbents Not Running

Two incumbents have confirmed they will not be running for reelection this year.

Karen McNamara, of Ward 4, said after “a thoughtful process,” she has decided not to run again.

McNamara was first elected during the July 2021 special election for the seat. An educator by trade, she retired from teaching in June and looked forward to traveling and serving the city in other ways, such as volunteering.

“It has been an honor serving and hearing about the needs of Ward 4 constituents,” she said. “I hope that the person who steps into Ward 4 will continue to encourage economic development with businesses and developers, along with supporting a safe and welcoming community.”

Sarah Robinson, the Zone C school board member, who was elected three years ago, has also decided not to run again.

Robinson said she could no longer meet the time demand the board requires. She was elected in 2022.

Voter Information

In 2023, Patch and Concord TV hosted 12 forums for the 13 competitive races that year.

The 2023 municipal coverage won First Place in Political Reporting, Class II Division, from the New Hampshire Press Association. For 2025, employees from both organizations have agreed to host forums again to answer voter questions.

Patch will also provide candidates with free questionnaire profiles, while Concord TV will create promotional videos.

The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce will also be producing a voter’s guide for 2025.

The Concord Monitor typically hosts a forum at Concord High School in October, which is broadcast on Concord TV.

How To File To Run

For city seats, the filing fee is $5. The filing period will run from Friday, Sept. 5, through Monday, Sept. 15, at the Concord City Clerk’s office at City Hall at 39 Green St. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with extended hours on Thursday until 6 p.m. On Sept. 15, the clerk’s office will be open until 5 p.m.

City ward positions have a filing fee of $1.

Candidates for city offices can also gather signatures instead of paying the $5 fee. The signature filing petition process will run through Sept. 19. See the city clerk for details.

To run for a city position, voters must be registered voters in the city and live in the Ward from which they are running, if they are a candidate for a Ward seat.

Call the city clerk’s office at 603-225-8500 for more information.

Filing for the three school board seats will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays from Sept. 5 to Sept. 15.

To run for a school board position, a candidate must be a registered voter of SAU 8 and be domiciled in the Zone district.

For more information about school board races, call the SAU 8 clerk at 603-225-0811.

City And School Offices On The Ballot

Seats in 2025 include:

Mayor: 1 seat, two-year term.

At-Large City Councilor: 2 seats, four-year term.

Ward City Councilor: 1 seat per Ward (10 seats), two-year term.

Zone A (Wards 1, 2, 3, 4): 1 seat, three-year term.

Zone B (Wards 5, 6, 7): 1 seat, three-year term.

Zone C (Wards 8, 9, 10): 1 seat, three-year term.

Ward seats also include:

Ward Moderator: 1 seat per Ward (10 seats), two-year term.

Ward Clerk: 1 seat per Ward (10 seats), two-year term.

Supervisor of the Checklist: 1 seat per Ward (10 seats), six-year term.

Are You Running?

Please let us know! Email me, Tony Schinella, at tony.schinella@patch.com.

Do you have a news tip? Please email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube or Rumble channels. Patch in New Hampshire is now in 190 communities. Also, follow Patch on Google Discover.