On Tuesday, New Hampshire's largest city held its non-partisan primary, and unsurprisingly, Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas and Democrat Joyce Craig advanced to the Nov. 7 general. But in what was a surprise, Craig outpaced Gatsas 53-46, the first time the Republican incumbent has finished second in the primary in any of his five mayoral races. This doesn't mean Gatsas is doomed: Two years ago, Gatsas led Craig 43-37, while another Democrat grabbed 15; in November, Gatsas beat Craig by 85 votes. Still, it's not a good sign for the incumbent at all.
Democrats haven't controlled the mayor's office since incumbent Robert Barnes lost re-election to future GOP Rep. Frank Guinta in 2005. However, Gatsas came close to losing two years ago, and he only won 53-47 in 2013. Gatsas had spent years flirting with a run for higher office, and last year, he finally decided to run for governor. Gatsas ended up taking third place with 21 percent of the vote in the primary, well behind eventual winner Chris Sununu's 31 percent.
If Craig wins, expect to hear her mentioned as a future candidate for NH-01 or for statewide office. Moreover, potential Democratic presidential candidates will likely show up in Manchester over the next two months to try and make inroads with New Hampshire Democrats: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti recently stumped for Craig.