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The Speaker is the head of the House of Representatives, an extremely powerful position.
The Clerk announces that he made ground rules for the Speaker election that both candidates had looked over.
The body accepts the rules.
The Clerk recognizes Rep. Lucy Weber (D) for making a nomination. “I rise today to nominate Rep. Alexis Simpson for Speaker of the New Hampshire House. … Rep. Simpson is particularly qualified to ensure that the House is run along principles of fairness, respect, and decorum for all members, majority and minority alike, fostering full and robust debates about policy while preserving an atmosphere of respect and collegiality. …”
Applause.
The Clerk recognizes Rep. Peter Petrigno (D) for seconding the nomination. “… As the deputy Democratic leader, she has proven herself to work effectively, respectfully, and cooperatively—not only with leadership but with all, regardless of party. In addition to being an experienced and dedicated legislator, Alexis is … a caring, empathetic clergywoman, a person of integrity, veracity, and prayerfulness. … Alexis has dedicated herself to public service for the common good, both here in the People’s House and in the Lord’s house. …”
Applause.
The Clerk recognizes Rep. Alexis Simpson (D). “… My name is Alexis Simpson. I’m running to be the Speaker of the New Hampshire House. … We all have stories that we come with this morning, stories that inspire the policy that we care so much about. Maybe the policy that inspired you to run for office was making sure all Granite Staters can afford their housing. Maybe it’s to ensure students can receive the services they need to obtain a high quality education. Maybe you want to keep your families and your neighbors safe. Whatever it is, whatever bill you want to pass and send to the governor’s desk, you cannot do it alone. None of us can. We need to work together in this body to make the changes that we envision. Today, I’m running to be your next Speaker of the House because we need a leader that can bring people together across differences to reach a common goal. … I pride myself on being both collaborative and decisive, compassionate and data-driven. I will listen to you and respect you even if—and when—we view policies differently. … I’m used to working with and leading people who see the world differently than I do. Yet I fully believe you do not have to be the biggest bully or have the loudest voice to be a strong leader, to stand up for what is right for Granite Staters. …”
Applause.
The Clerk recognizes Rep. Lisa Mazur (R) for making a nomination. “… It is my privilege to rise today to nominate Sherman—Sherm—Packard as Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. … Sherm embodies the qualities of leadership we need at this critical juncture. He listens to all perspectives, builds consensus, and upholds the dignity of this institution. In an era where divisions often dominate, Sherm reminds us of the power of collaboration and respect. As Speaker, Sherm will continue to lead with integrity, transparency, and a clear vision for the future. He will keep his door open and insure that this House remains a beacon of democracy. He will support legislation that protects New Hampshire and preserves our Live Free or Die way of life. Make no mistake: as a result of his solid leadership, the committee to elect House Republicans was instrumental in securing a historic 44-seat working Republican majority in the House. … In the words of Sherm, and I quote, ‘The key to our success is sticking together as one team, and with that unity we will continue to move New Hampshire forward, keeping it safe and free.’ …”
Applause.
The Clerk recognizes Rep. Kim Rice (R) for seconding the nomination. She gave a short speech: “Good afternoon everyone. I’m sure you’re thinking that the Clerk clearly made a mistake. But after a rather lively conversation and assurances that I can live with and that I believe those that supported me can live with, I rise to second the nomination of Sherm Packard for Speaker of the House.”
Applause, cheers.
Rep. Rice had previously announced she was running against Rep. Packard in the election for Speaker. “Alright everybody. Alright, thank you everyone. You know, I served under Sherm. We have a great opportunity here. We have a very large majority. Let’s do great things for the Live Free or Die state. I hope you’ll join me in supporting Sherm Packard for Speaker of the House.”
Applause.
The Clerk recognizes Rep. Ted Gorski (R) for seconding the nomination. “… Recently, Sherm and I had a difference of opinion on an issue, and after the issue played out, we were emailing back and forth. And I decided to call Sherm, but Sherm beat me to the punch. He actually called me and we had a great conversation. As the call ended, it was evident to me that Sherm did not harbor any bad feelings, but his goal was to maintain the relationship. Let me just say this: this behavior is atypical for most of the executives that I work with. They usually harbor these bad feelings and don’t try to maintain the relationship. Sherm is able to do that, which is a great trait for a Speaker. …”
Applause.
The Clerk recognizes Rep. Sherman Packard. Rep. Packard wears a tie with two American flags and a bald eagle on it over a white shirt and blue jacket. “Thank you Mr. Clerk, and thank you for those words. We’ve got, uh, two tough years ahead of us. Philosophically in many cases, we are gonna have different opinions on subject matter. I think that Rep. Simpson and I disagree on that. We are gonna have a vast amount of difference on subject matter, but by God, that doesn’t mean we can’t be civil and friendly and cooperate with each other when we are on the same page.”
Applause.
“We do not need to do any name calling or any of that stuff. I wish Twitter and Facebook didn’t exist because I think it would be better for our society—”
Applause.
“—but having said that, they do exist. So, all I ask of all of you, on both sides of the aisle, is that we respect each other. And we make sure that we can have a civil conversation and we can disagree but we can still have that conversation. My door is open. It has been for the last four years since I’ve been Speaker. If anybody in this room wants to come and talk to me and I’m not tied up in a meeting, the door is open for you to come in. And that goes for both sides of the aisle. I’ve had that open door policy for four years, and I’m intent on keeping it. I truly believe that as a body, we can get the next two years, we can do it civilly, we can do what’s best for the citizens of the state of New Hampshire. Now we might disagree on that from my friends over here, but we can do it in a civil manner. So, all I’m asking everybody in this room is let’s make sure that we are civil to each other, regardless of how we feel on a particular issue. Thank you.”
Applause.
The Clerk continues: “With no further nominations, the Chair declares the nominations for Speaker closed. At this time, I would ask all members to please take their seats—” He bangs the gavel twice. “—so that we can begin to distribute the ballots for the election of Speaker. As you can see my staff here in the well is coming out to pass out ballots.” The well is just in front of the chair. “Please do not mark them until after I have completed my instructions. Balloting will be done by division. When you have marked your ballot, please remain seated. I will call each division up. There are two ballot boxes in the front of the chamber and two in the back.”