State lawmakers will chose the next Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Wednesday.
Current Speaker Shawn Jasper looks in good position to keep his speaker’s gavel, with Republicans holding a solid majority in the House.
But Jasper only narrowly won the support of his Republican caucus last week, so there's the possibility that a disgruntled GOP member could challenge him in the full House vote.
Besides Jasper, Democratic leader Steve Shurtleff is the only other official candidate on the ballot. The election will be a secret ballot and the victor needs a majority vote, so if more people jump into the race, it could take more than one round to reach a winner.
In addition to the speaker’s race, all 400 House members will also be sworn in Wednesday. Both chambers will elect the State Treasurer and Secretary of State. Current Secretary of State Bill Gardner is running unopposed. Gardner has held the position since 1976 – making him the longest serving Secretary of State in the country.
