The Annual Meeting of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee will be held on March 21st, 2026 at Rundlett Middle School in Concord, NH.

The Members of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee shall meet in January pursuant to the bylaws for the purpose as defined:

The purpose of meetings of the State Committee is to elect officers in accordance with Article II, 3, A… to consider and vote on proposed amendments to these bylaws and proposed resolutions, and, except as provided in Article I, 4, A, (4), (b), to conduct any other business permissible under the rules adopted for the meeting.

Members of the State Committee are:

Article I, C, 1: The State Committee shall comprise the members of the County and City Committees selected pursuant to Article V of these bylaws.

Article V, 1: Elected State Committee Members: As provided by State Statutes (RSA 661:10, RSA 667:22), each County and recognized City shall have a County and City Committee comprised of the number of members apportioned to it by the State Convention of the Republican Party, and the members of each County Committee shall be elected by the Party nominees and delegates from each County and City to the State Convention as provided by such statute. Members so elected shall be designated as members of the State Committee, with voting privileges. These members of the State Committee shall also serve as members of their County and City committees.

Thank you to our Annual Meeting Sponsors:

Timeline (Tentative)

7:00 AM – Sponsor Entry & Set-Up
8:30 AM – Doors Open
9:00 AM – Credentialing Opens
10:00 AM – Meeting Begins
10:30 AM – Credentialing Closes
~1:00 PM – Meeting Adjourns

Officers To Be Elected

Candidates will be listed alphabetically, by last name, below position as received.
The deadline for officer nominations is Monday, March 13th at 12:00 (Noon) PM EST

VICE CHAIR CANDIDATES

• Jess Edwards

I'm Jess Edwards and I'm asking for your vote to be our next Vice Chair of the NHGOP on March 21st at our 2026 Annual Meeting.

I'm completing my 5th term in the State House.  I've been able to rely on the NHGOP to train me how to campaign and fund raise.  This is my opportunity to pay it back by helping our NHGOP Chair prepare our party for the 2026 elections.

We have much to do in eight months.  From the strategic fund-raising to the tactics of supporting candidate mail franking, I've gotten to know our party. Our party is large and diverse from our grassroots to our elected representatives and to our national contacts.  I'd like to apply my leadership skills to developing greater teamwork and prepare us to regain our unity immediately upon completion of our primaries.  We need to build ourselves to withstand the victories and disappointments of competitive Republican races.  Our goal is to get Republicans elected across our ballots. 

For those that don't know me, I'm a retired Army officer with a tour in Afghanistan where I led a NATO team which trained over 3,000 Afghanis to form infantry battalions.  Organizing the NHGOP might be an equivalent operation.  More recently, as the Chair of Division III Finance, I led a great team in committee to successfully produce the most recent three healthcare budgets.  I have a strong background in project management.  People know from my voting record that I'm a strong constitutional and fiscal conservative.  The NH Journal has published many of my articles, most of which may be found at the link:

Please reach out and ask me any questions you have regarding our party's future.

Jess Edwards, Author at NH Journal

Best regards,
Jess Edwards
secure4posterity@yahoo.com
603-370-7885

• Ken Hilton

The New Hampshire Republican Party has always been built from the grassroots up. Our town committees, county organizations, volunteers, and State Committee members are the people who do the work that elects Republicans across our state.

As we prepare for the 2026 election cycle, our focus should be on strengthening that foundation and ensuring the party organization is ready to support Republican candidates in every community across New Hampshire. Strong parties are built between elections, not just during them.

As Chair of the Strafford County Republican Committee, I work closely with town committees, grassroots activists, and local candidates. I have seen firsthand how much our success depends on the dedication of local volunteers and leaders who step forward to serve their communities and strengthen the party.

As Vice Chair, my focus would be on supporting and strengthening that work.

I believe we should concentrate on three priorities:

Strengthening our grassroots network by supporting town and county committees with the tools and coordination they need to recruit volunteers and engage voters.

Supporting Republican candidates at every level by improvingp coordination between the state party, county committees, and campaigns.

Expanding fundraising and voter outreach so we have the resources and engagement needed to win competitive elections.

I came to New Hampshire in the early 1980s to work at Seabrook Station and later became a master plumber and small business owner. Today I run my own plumbing company here from Somersworth. Like many of you, I believe in hard work, personal responsibility, and giving back to our communities.

The months ahead will require focus, coordination, and a commitment to working together to elect Republicans across New Hampshire.

I respectfully ask for your support for Vice Chair at the NHGOP Annual Meeting.
Thank you for your consideration.

Ken Hilton
ken4rep@gmail.com
903-497-0379

TREASURER CANDIDATE

• Paul Schibbelhute