It took almost two hours Thursday night for the Rockingham County Republicans to elect 77 members to the Republican State Committee.

Over the past two weeks, Republican county committees having been meeting to elect people who will vote next month to determine who will become the next chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party. Currently only former Gov. John H. Sununu is running for chairman.

"The tradition of the Rockingham County Republican Committee of holding the most open and fair caucus continued with last night's meeting," Rockingham County Republican Chairman Greg Carson wrote in an email.

The most notable members elected to the committee include former Executive Councilor Ruth Griffin, Sheriff Dan Linehan, Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta's press secretary Mark Laliberte, former State Senate candidate Lee Quandt, former State Representative and 2006 Republican Gubernatorial nominee Jim Coburn, former State Senator Russ Prescott, state Rep. DJ Bettencourt and Carson.

Carson added, "I could not be more pleased with the result and I think we are well positioned to recapture the NH House, Senate and corner office in the mid-term elections in 2010."