Sherman Packard

House Republican leader state Rep. Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) has announced his leadership team for the upcoming legislative session.

Packard has decided to keep state Rep. David Hess (R-Hooksett) as the deputy republican leader. State Rep. Shawn Jasper (R-Hudson) will be the Republican whip and state Rep. Andrew Renzullo (R-Hudson) will be the deputy Republican whip. State Rep. Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett), who ran against Packard for House Republican leader, has been tapped to be the senior assistant Republican leader.

The New Hampshire House speaker picks the leaders for the political party caucuses and Speaker Norelli exercised that right earlier today.

Norelli selected state Rep. Mary Jane Wallner (D-Concord) to be House Democratic leader and state Rep. Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) will be the House Republican leader. Both Wallner and Packard were voted to those positions by their respective caucuses in November and Norelli decided not to override those votes.

Teri Norelli

CONCORD--State Rep. Terie Norelli (D-Portsmouth) has been officially elected for a second term as House speaker and told House members that they would need to work across party lines to deal with the state budget.

Norelli defeated state Rep. Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) and state Rep. Robert Rowe (R-Amherst). Norelli received 230 votes, Packard received 104 votes and Rowe got 53 votes. State Rep. Chris Roberts received 3 votes and one ballot was left blank.

New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen said that House Republican leader state Rep. Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) has a "majority mind set" needed to promote the Republican agenda.

"I think that Sherm has a very good temperament and has an inclusive vision for the caucus," Cullen said in an interview with PolitickerNH.com. "He shares what I call the majority mind set. Which is recognizing that without a majority none of our agenda goes anywhere."

Newly elected House Republican leader state Rep. Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) said that he was "humbled" to be chosen leader, but added that the next two years will be challenging for the state.

Packard was elected last night in a close vote against state Rep. Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett). State Rep. Fran Wendelboe (R-New Hampton) and state Rep. John Reagan (R-Deerfield) were also running for the leadership position but dropped out after the second ballot.

In addition to being selected the House Republican leader state Rep. Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) has also been nominated to be the Republican nominee for House Speaker.

Packard defeated state Rep. Robert Rowe (R-Amherst) by 86 votes to 65 votes. President George W. Bush and state Rep. Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett) both received one vote.

CONCORD--State Rep. Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) has been elected the new House Republican leader.

Packard defeated state Rep. Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett) in a vote of 82 to 79.

After the vote was made public Chandler moved to make the vote unanimous.

CONCORD-- Minutes before the third ballot is scheduled to take place state Reps. John Reagan (R-Deerfield) and Fran Wendelboe (R-New Hampton) have withdrawn from the House Republican leader race, setting up a possible tie on the third ballot.

Wendelboe is threw her support behind state Rep. Gene Chandler (R-Bartlettt) and Reagan is supporting state Rep. Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry). If all votes stay true to the commitments they made on the second ballot it could result in an 80-80 tie.

CONCORD--A second ballot for House Minority Leader showed basically the same result as the first with state Rep. Sherman Packard (R-Londonderry) is still leading his opponents for House Republican leader, but still without the majority he needs to win. The caucus will now head to a third ballot.

Packard got 68 votes, state Rep. Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett) got 52 votes, state Rep. Fran Wendelboe (R-New Hampton) received 28 votes and state Rep. John Reagan (R-Deerfield) got 12 votes and one person wrote in the name Scamman but did not specify whether it was for Doug Scamman or his wife Stella Scamman.

CONCORD-- State Rep. Sherm Packard (R-Londonderry) won the first ballot in the race for House Republican Leader, but since he failed to get a 50 percent majority the voting continues.

Packard received 61 votes, state Rep. Gene Chandler (R-Bartlett) got 46 votes, state Rep. Fran Wendelboe (R-New Hampton) took in 39 votes and state Rep. John Reagan got support from 15 members.