Race at a glance
Four Democratic incumbents are running for New Hampshire State House District Merrimack 9 in the 2026 general election. The candidates are Eleana Colby, David Luneau, Muriel Hall and James Newsom.
The race is designated as contested. Unlike a contest that places nominees from different parties against one another, the listed field consists entirely of Democrats who already hold office. Their incumbent status means voters are considering current officeholders rather than a field that includes first-time challengers.
The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. That is when voters in the district will make their choices for State House representation.
Who is running
Eleana Colby is a Democratic incumbent running in Merrimack 9. Her place in the field combines two defining facts shared by every candidate in this race: She is running as a Democrat and currently holds office.
David Luneau is a Democratic incumbent running in Merrimack 9. Like each of the other candidates, he enters the general election as a current officeholder seeking to continue serving in the State House.
Muriel Hall is a Democratic incumbent running in Merrimack 9. She is one of four candidates in the contested general election, and she shares the same party affiliation and incumbent status as the rest of the field.
James Newsom is a Democratic incumbent running in Merrimack 9. He completes the four-candidate field and, like Colby, Luneau and Hall, is identified as both a Democrat and an incumbent.
What is contested
The defining feature of the Merrimack 9 race is its four-candidate field of sitting Democratic representatives. The contest therefore does not offer a party contrast among the listed candidates. Instead, voters face a choice involving four candidates with the same party label and the same incumbent status.
No candidate has a documented policy position in the race listing. That means the basic distinctions established for the ballot are limited to the candidates’ names, their Democratic affiliation and their status as incumbents. Voters may hear more from the campaigns about priorities and records as the election approaches.
The candidates should be assessed separately even though they share a party and officeholder status. A vote for one candidate does not describe the records or views of the other three.
Election timeline
The Merrimack 9 contest will appear as part of New Hampshire’s 2026 general election on Nov. 3. The general election is the stage at which district voters choose who will serve them in the State House.
Before voting, residents can check the final ballot and review any public statements the four candidates make about their priorities. Because all four candidates are incumbents, voters can also consider each person’s service in office individually rather than treating the field as a single group.
