HB 75 is now law: Rep Turcotte gave it wings; Sen. Gray helped it land safely

State Rep. Len Turcotte, a pilot with American Airlines, left, and State Sen Jim Gray. (Courtesy photos)

CONCORD - The governor's decision not to veto House Bill 75 puts the at-large election of Strafford County Commissioners in the dust bin of history, spelling an end to the Democrat stranglehold that has pervaded county government the past 40 years.
HB 75, which passed in June by a single vote, 186-185, puts Strafford County in line with how every other county in the state elects its county commissioners, by districts.
Strafford 4 rep Len Turcotte, who sponsored HB 270, the precursor to HB 75, told The Rochester Voice on Friday its passage has historic significance.
"For the first time in 40 years, during the 2024 election cycle, Strafford County will now elect their commissioners by district just as the other nine counties (in the state) have done for decades. "As the prime sponsor on (HB 270) the bill, along with several other cosponsors from Strafford County, I want to thank the many Strafford County reps who testified at the hearing; and District 6 state Senator Jim Gray, (who shepherded home HB 75). It is very gratifying to see this bill finally make its way into law."
Soon after the bill's passage Gray told The Voice it was the people from small towns all over Strafford County who led him to spearhead HB 75.
"It was towns like Barrington, Milton, Milton Mills and New Durham who said they wanted representation at the county level," Gray said. "There were a number people who asked to put the bill forward, and I am pleased we could do it."
Democrats sought to paint HB 75 as gerrymandering but Turcotte said their claims were nothing more than a red herring.
"This bill brings Strafford County in line with every other county in New Hampshire by creating districts for commissioners," Turcotte said. "For decades Democrats in Strafford County have had unchecked power at the commissioner level."
The three districts would include:
District 1: the towns of Farmington, Middleton, Milton, New Durham, wards 1, 5, and 6, of the city of Rochester, and wards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the city of Somersworth;
District 2, wards 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the city of Dover, and the towns of Durham, Lee, and Rollinsford;
District 3, Barrington, wards 5 and 6 of the city of Dover, Madbury, wards 2, 3, and 4 of the city of Rochester, and the town of Strafford.
Turcotte cheered the news that Sununu had let the bill stand.
"For the last four decades (20 election cycles) where three commissioners were elected each term, only a single Republican was elected," he said. "That's one out of 60 possible slots, the other 59 went to Democrats in a county that is approximately 40/60 Republican to Democrat citizenry."
Turcotte said the Democrats had tried everything in the book to buck coming in line with the state's other nine counties, who all elect their commissioner by district.
"Throughout the seven-month process, Democrats have dispensed propaganda, fear grenades and outright lies in op-eds as well as during hearings and in the House Chamber," he said. "To be clear, their strong opposition came down to a single issue: 40 years of complete Democrat rule in a Gerrymandered-by-default county without Republican oversight could now come to an end."
The last time a Republican was on the county board was 2012.
County Commissioner Chair George Maglaras has vowed all along that if Sununu didn't veto the bill he would take it all the way to the state's Supreme Court.
Maglaras was not immediately available for comment.

This story will be updated.