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Prescott prevails in close CD1 Republican primary; will take on Pappas

Former Executive Councilor Russell Prescott won the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District, narrowly defeating Hollie Noveletsky and Joe Kelly Levasseur.
Todd Bookman/NHPR
Former Executive Councilor Russell Prescott won the Republican nomination for the 1st Congressional District, narrowly defeating Hollie Noveletsky and Joe Kelly Levasseur.

Former Executive Councilor Russell Prescott secured a narrow victory in the Republican primary in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District Tuesday, setting up a general election contest against incumbent Democrat Chris Pappas.

The Associated Press called the race for Prescott shortly after midnight, with 94% of polling locations reporting results that had Prescott with 26% of the vote.

Prescott, who lives in Kingston, came to the race with a long political resume. He had previously served two terms on the Executive Council, as well as 10 years as a state senator. He also ran for this same congressional seat in 2022, finishing fourth in the Republican primary that was won by Karoline Leavitt.

Prescott won a tight victory Tuesday over a field that included first-time political candidate Hollie Noveletsky, whose family owns Novel Iron Works in Greenland. According to the Associated Press, Noveletsky finished second with around 24% percent of the vote.

Joe Kelly Levasseur, a longtime Manchester alderman who framed his campaign around his enthusiastic support for former President Donald Trump, finished third with 23%. Chris Bright of Derry, a West Point graduate, finished in fourth place.

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On the trail, Prescott stressed his record as a fiscal conservative, touting his time helping to craft the state budget during the financial crisis, as well as his leadership of a family-owned water treatment company.

Pappas won his party’s renomination on Tuesday without a serious challenger, and is seeking his fourth term in Congress, representing a district that covers much of the eastern portion of the state, as well as his hometown of Manchester.

The district was seen as a swing seat for much of the past two decades, often flip flopping between Democrat and Republican representation, but Pappas has secured victories in each of the last three general elections.

Todd started as a news correspondent with NHPR in 2009. He spent nearly a decade in the non-profit world, working with international development agencies and anti-poverty groups. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University. He can be reached at tbookman@nhpr.org.