Dems Stunningly Flip Seat in Major Humiliation for Trump

A Democrat flipped a Republican seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives, deep in Trump country; this was another local surge that could signal a national blue wave.

Bobbi Boudman defeated Dale Fincher in a special election after the Republican who held the seat left the district on Tuesday.

Democrats won about 52 percent of the vote, while 48 percent went to Republicans. More than 4,000 people voted in the precinct, located in rural Carroll County near the Maine border.

The results mark a significant break with tradition. Trump won the district in 2024, with double-digit margins in some towns.

Down-ballot Democrat Boudman has twice tried to wrest the state House seat from the GOP. He failed twice.

Tuesday’s victory fits a larger trend. The party has lost 28 seats nationwide since Trump won back the White House in 2024, according to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

“Tuesdays are becoming a headache for Republicans across the country as they suffer one stunning defeat after another,” DLCC chair Heather Williams said in a statement. “These victories are not a sudden event; they speak of Democrats’ undeniable momentum at a time when voters are rejecting Republicans and blaming them for rising costs.”

The White House did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.

Boudman’s messages on the campaign trail also touched on Trump’s weak polling areas across the country. It focused on affordability, education, and fiscal responsibility. Boudman’s website says New Hampshire state government leaders have a duty “to be fiscally conservative.”

A poll released this week shows that 62 percent of Americans disapprove of the way Trump is handling the economy. The same poll shows that 48 percent of registered voters believe Trump’s policies are hurting the economy.

Fincher presented himself to voters as “a mediator in this turbulent time of political polarization.”

Another bright spot for Democrats was the cash, or lack thereof, needed to flip the seat. Boudman raised $12,000 for his campaign with several outside donors, according to political newsletter “The Downballot.” The Republican received $30,000 from outside groups in addition to the $25,000 he raised himself.

The Democrats’ victory also comes against the backdrop of a state government run entirely by Republicans.

The GOP controls the state legislature and the governor’s mansion. Republican Kelly Ayotte defeated former Manchester mayor Joyce Craig in the 2024 governor’s race.

CNN data guru Harry Enten reported this week that Democrats have a 46 percent chance of taking control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. “What we’re seeing is that the Democrats’ chances of doing this are increasing, increasing, rising on a ladder to heaven, my dear friend,” Enten said. “It’s not at 50 percent yet, but it’s clearly increasing.”

With midterm elections on the horizon, New Hampshire is also entering the national conversation as one of the Republican Party’s best opportunities to retain control of the Senate.

Democratic incumbent Jeanne Shaheen is not seeking re-election. Two former GOP senators, Scott Brown and John Sununu, are running for the seat.

On the Democratic side, Congressman Chris Pappas is leaving office to challenge progressive scholar Karishma Manzur for the nomination.