Dennis Jakubowski put on his washed green hat, stitched with a white peace sign, and headed to the Loudon polls Tuesday morning. 

Jakubowski, 70, hoped he could sway his neighbors to vote down ballot Democrat. In a narrowly divided legislature, every vote counts for determining who is on the House floor, making decisions.

Ruth Heath learned that the hard way in 2022 when the Democrat lost her bid for state representative in Loudon and Canterbury by 48 votes. 

This time, she’s not taking chances. 

Ahead of primary day, Heath said she knocked on 450 doors and hopes to hit 1,000 by November. 

Heath and Edward Friedrich, a first-time Democrat candidate, are looking to unseat the two Republican incumbents, Mike Moffett and Jose Cambrils for the Loudon and Canterbury district. 

Jakubowski stood with the two Democrats, in hopes that their success would help protect women’s reproductive freedom in the state. 

“I’m really, really concerned about my granddaughters in this country,” he said. “Republicans, they’re unabashed that they are going to take away their rights.”

In past years, the pendulum has swung the district by slim margins. In 2018, a Democrat claimed one seat by by 55-votes. In 2022, Heath lost by a similar line. 

On the heels of the most narrowly divided House session, this purple district could help define either party’s power in the chamber. 

To Heath, campaigning has been a good exercise in finding commonality with neighbors who share different policies. 

“I’m one of these rare people that love campaigning,” she said. “I like meeting people at the doors and talking about their gardens and their grandchildren and their dogs, finding the commonalities we all have.” 

But to her other competitors in the race, the partisan divide in the country has drawn a staunch stance of one party versus the other. 

From the House floor, Cambrils watched a number of Republican-backed bills fail by a handful of votes. Not only would he like to maintain his seat – which he’s held since 2020 – but he’d like to see Republicans hold a larger lead. 

“I’d like to see changes so that on our side we have a bigger majority so we can pass the important bills,” he said. “I believe that we’re the right party to keep costs down and protect the taxpayer, where the other side, everything is just taxes and spending.” 

Meanwhile when Friedrich first started canvassing, he had a vision of having a “good conversation” with Republicans. That lasted a few houses before he was kicked off someone’s property. 

“I said, ‘All right, I don't have enough time to do that’,” he said. “So my focus is on the 1,500 independents between Loudon and Canterbury, and trying to get them to come to the light side from the dark side.”

Friedrich doesn’t hesitate with his list of priorities as a Democrat - school funding is “abominable,” especially compared to New Hampshire’s neighboring states; the property tax burden is “intolerable” and forcing seniors out of their home; and gun safety needs a “common sense” solution. 

“The House has been very close, and if we had a couple of us in there, maybe those bills wouldn't have passed,” he said. 

A Democrat majority would also help safeguard against Republican gubernatorial front-runner Kelly Ayotte, he said. On the campaign trail and in television ads, she claims she will leave New Hampshire’s abortion laws as is. Friedrich doesn’t buy it. 

“I don’t believe her. She’s never voted that way,” he said. “If we can turn the House and get to a Democratic majority, and make a tremendous change in the speaker, I think we’ll make some great headways.” 

Cambris agrees that it’s time for change. 

“Frankly, Sununu never worked with the House. He treated us like a bunch of children,” he said. “I look forward to the new governor being somebody that’s going to work closely with the House and actually respect what we do and not override us with a bunch of executive orders… too many, too many executive orders usurping the function of the legislature.”