New Hampshire Senate elects Sharon Carson president, names Tammy Wright clerk during organizational session

The New Hampshire Senate convened for its organizational session on Dec. 4, 2024, administered oaths of office and reorganized leadership, electing Sen. Sharon Carson as president and Tammy Wright as clerk while adopting session rules and appointing a select committee to review election returns.

The session began with an invocation by Reverend Mark Warren and a roll call that recorded 24 senators present. Gov. Christopher T. Sununu and the executive council entered the chamber to witness and administer oaths; the secretary of state reported that official returns are included in members’ packets and that each senator received a plurality in their district.

Sen. Bridal formally nominated Sharon Carson for senate president, urging colleagues to cast a single vote for her. The nomination was seconded, the body voted by voice and the president declared, "Senator Sharon Carson is elected the president of the senate." Carson thanked colleagues and family and pledged to lead with civility and collaboration, saying she was "deeply humbled to serve as your senate president."

The body next moved to internal officers. Sen. Reardon nominated Tammy Wright for clerk of the State Senate; the nomination was seconded and approved by voice vote. Wright took the clerk’s oath and repeated the pledge to faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the office.

Sen. Bernthal moved to adopt the rules from the 2023–24 session for 2025–26 with specified changes, including adjustments to remote participation and the addition of a standing committee on children and family law; the resolution was adopted. The senate also adopted a proposed amendment to the ethics guidelines printed in the calendar and passed a resolution requesting that the secretary of state furnish official returns from the senatorial districts.

The senate appointed a three-member select committee — Sen. Birdsell, Sen. Ward and Sen. Perkins Kwoka — to examine and count the returns and report any vacancies or contests. The committee’s report was moved and adopted by the senate.

Other housekeeping actions included a resolution to pay senators’ biennial salary in one undivided sum and to pay mileage every two weeks during the session. The senate recessed for a joint convention with the House to elect the Secretary of State and State Treasurer and later voted to adjourn and reconvene on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.

No final roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript for the voice votes; outcomes are reported here as reflected in the session record. The senate’s next scheduled business resumes on Jan. 8, 2025.