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New Hampshire

Murphy Wins Re-Election in District 27

Republican-turned-Independent Tim Coffin conceded the Hillsborough District 27 state House race to incumbent Mary Murphy.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

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Republican-turned-Independent Tim Coffin conceded the Hillsborough District 27 race to incumbent Democrat Mary Murphy, who won with 961 votes, or 55.1 percent. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Mary Murphy won re-election as state representative for Hillsborough District 27, receiving 961 votes, or 55.1% of the district total. Tim Coffin, who ran as an Independent, received 783 votes and conceded the race.

Why it matters

The result returns Murphy to the New Hampshire House for another term representing Francestown and Deering. Murphy said she plans to continue efforts to lower property taxes in the state.

Murphy captured 961 votes, or 55.1% of the District 27 total, while Coffin received 783 votes. Francestown returned a near-even split of 470 to 469 in Murphy's favor, with 93 Francestown ballots undervoted in this race.

The players

Mary Murphy

Mary Murphy is a former IBM executive and Francestown resident who was first elected to the New Hampshire House in 2024 and has prioritized lowering property taxes.

Tim Coffin

Tim Coffin is a former registered Republican who ran as an Independent in the District 27 race and conceded after losing by 783 votes to Murphy's 961.

The details

Coffin secured enough petition signatures over the summer to run as an Independent, and the District 27 ballot had no Democratic candidate. Murphy, a former IBM executive who has lived in Francestown for 12 years, was first elected in 2024. Coffin, a former registered Republican, lost by a single vote in Francestown, the town where both candidates live.

Timeline

  1. 2024: Murphy first elected state representative for District 27.

  2. Over the summer: Coffin secured petition signatures to run as an Independent.

  3. November 3: Midterm election held and Murphy won the District 27 race.

  4. November 4: Coffin conceded and congratulated Murphy.

Political Context

Murphy's stated plan to keep pushing for lower property taxes continues a longstanding New Hampshire legislative priority tied to the state's reliance on local property levies for school and municipal funding. Her return to the House extends that agenda into another two-year term representing Francestown and Deering.

Murphy's continued tenure means District 27 residents in Francestown and Deering keep the same representative in the state House, with her stated focus on property tax relief. Voters in the district will next weigh in on their representative at the next scheduled election.

The takeaway

Local races can turn on very small margins, as Francestown's 470-469 split shows. Checking town-level results can reveal how individual communities shape district outcomes.

Further reading

For more on how state legislative races are decided, explore New Hampshire Elections.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Monadnock Ledger-Transcript.

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Should the state prioritize lowering property taxes above other goals?