The Democrats will maintain control of the Executive Council, as they appear to be maintaining their 3-2 advantage on the Council.

Councilors Ray Burton (R-Bath), Ray Wieczorek (R-Manchester), Bev Hollingworth (D-Hampton) and Deb Pignatelli (D-Nashua) all won handily.

The most-watched race for the Council is between Council John Shea (D-Nelson) and Merrimack County Attorney Dan St. Hilaire (R-Concord). As of this posting, with 80 percent of precincts reporting St. Hilaire is losing by 10,000 votes.

The Council approves all gubernatorial appointments and state contracts over $5,000.