On the Dover, NH (Ward 2) ballot: New Hampshire Executive Council District 1, 2026 general election, November 3, 2026. The Ballot Brief
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph D. Kenney, also identified as Joseph D. “Joe” Kenney. Citizens Count Wikipedia |
| Born | July 12, 1960. Wikipedia |
| Party | Republican. NH Election Database |
| Current office | New Hampshire Executive Council, District 1. The official council profile says he began serving in 2021; Citizens Count lists service in 2022–present. New Hampshire Executive Council Citizens Count |
| Seeking | Re-election to New Hampshire Executive Council, District 1, in the November 3, 2026 general election. The Ballot Brief |
| Opponent | Luz Bay (D), as provided in the ballot context; the supplied evidence does not identify the opponent. |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts in history, with a small-business minor, from the University of New Hampshire. Citizens Count Wikipedia |
| Personal | Married, with two children; residence listed as Wakefield, New Hampshire. Citizens Count Wikipedia |
| Campaign site | No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 11, 2026. The Ballot Brief |
| Years | Role |
|---|---|
| 1980–present/retired status not specified | United States Marine Corps service; the supplied sources describe him as a retired lieutenant colonel and as a veteran of the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars. Citizens Count Wikipedia |
| 1994–2002 | Member, New Hampshire House of Representatives. Citizens Count |
| 2002–2008 | Member, New Hampshire Senate. Citizens Count |
| 2008 | Republican candidate for governor of New Hampshire; lost to incumbent Democratic Governor John Lynch in the general election. Wikipedia |
| 2014–2018 | Member, New Hampshire Executive Council, District 1. Citizens Count |
| 2021–present | Member, New Hampshire Executive Council, District 1, according to the official council profile. New Hampshire Executive Council |
| 2026 | Republican candidate for New Hampshire Executive Council, District 1. The Ballot Brief |
| Issue | Stated position |
|---|---|
| Cost of living and taxes | Opposes broad-based income and sales taxes; supports phasing out the Interest and Dividends tax. Citizens Count |
| Health care | Supported private, opt-in family and medical leave in the 2020 survey; opposed a mandatory statewide family and medical leave program. Citizens Count |
| Abortion | Supported abortion restrictions after the first and second trimesters and opposed a guarantee of abortion before 24 weeks; stated that abortion should generally be limited to cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother’s health. Citizens Count |
| LGBTQ rights | Supported banning discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. Citizens Count |
| Education and school funding | Supports Education Freedom Accounts, majority local-property-tax funding for public schools, and statewide standards-based assessments; opposes Common Core standards. Citizens Count The Ballot Brief |
| Housing | Opposed encouraging local zoning changes for housing development in 2022, citing local control; in 2018, stated that state government should do more to increase affordable-housing supply. Citizens Count |
| Immigration | Supported state and local law-enforcement cooperation with federal authorities on immigration enforcement. Citizens Count |
| Democracy and voting | Opposed mail-in voting, while supporting absentee ballots for health, military-service, or other reasons; supported strict residency requirements for voter registration. Citizens Count |
| Environment and energy | Supported New Hampshire’s Renewable Portfolio Standard and extending it; opposed the Northern Pass as proposed; said renewable-energy development should be cost-effective and locally controlled. Citizens Count |
| Marijuana | Opposes recreational-marijuana legalization and supports medical marijuana for chronically ill adults. Citizens Count |
| Guns | Opposed stricter gun laws beyond enforcing existing laws. Citizens Count |
| Foreign policy | No position was found in the supplied sources. |
None found in the supplied sources. Citizens Count The Ballot Brief