CLAREMONT — The City Council is an ostensibly nonpartisan governmental body, but party politics played a large part in Tuesday election nonetheless, according to the candidates involved.

Outgoing Councilor Jim Contois, who was celebrating the loss of fellow Councilor Jonathan Stone on Wednesday, said the city’s Democrats are not finished campaigning against him.

Stone narrowly lost Tuesday, 247-241, in his bid for another term representing Ward 3 on the Council. City Clerk Gwen Melcher said Stone has filed for a recount.

“His toxic Republicanism needs to go,” Contois said. “So we are very happy with that defeat, and from my personal point of view, we will be coming after his House seat.”

Stone represents the city in the New Hampshire Legislature.

Stone, who was elected to the Council in 2017, said Wednesday he was more than a little surprised at the result.

“I didn’t expect to come out on the short end of the stick,” he said. “I definitely think there was a huge push on their part to unseat certain councilors, including myself. I think that was evident. I will give them credit. They were pretty well organized.”

Stone is currently fighting a legal battle to keep news organizations and the public from gaining access to internal affairs reports pertaining to alleged misconduct during his six years as a Claremont police officer in the early 2000s. The New Hampshire Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case on Tuesday.

He lost to Jonathan Hayden, who along with his wife operates an organic vegetable farm on Winter Street.

Hayden said Tuesday he definitely believes Stone’s court case regarding his personnel records played a part in his victory.

“Several hundred people come to the farm each week and often express their viewpoints. They wanted someone to run against him,” said Hayden, whose wife gave birth to a boy on Sunday.

Hayden also credited his success to strong support for Claremont Cares, a civic group.

“They did an amazing job reaching out to constituents and informing them of who I am,” Hayden said.

Incumbent Assistant Mayor Deb Matteau, who narrowly avoided defeat herself, pointed the finger at Contois for stirring up opposition to her candidacy.

Her opponent, Brian Zutter, also was backed by Claremont Cares. Matteau defeated him, 776-740.

“A lot of Democrats in Claremont voted with them,” Matteau said.

Zutter, a member of Claremont Cares, disputed claims by Matteau and Stone that they were targeted for defeat by the organization. He described the group as “nonpartisan and grassroots” that wants to help find solutions and improve the city.

“Out of that conversation came the idea of running for City Council,” Zutter, a member of the Arrowhead Recreation Club, said. “I am not in alignment with those who say we were running people against people. The individuals decided what they wanted to run for. I made the decision before I met with Claremont Cares to run for assistant mayor. It was not a driven exercise by the Claremont Cares group.”

Zutter said if he had been elected, he would have promoted the mission of Claremont Cares to create a thriving community because some of Claremont’s best moments have been driven by grassroots efforts.

“This is an opportunity to do that and hopefully it will continue to grow and gain traction.”

As for the results, Zutter said he of course wished he’d won but was pleased with his vote total as a first-time candidate.

Contois acknowledged he worked hard to unseat Matteau and Stone, but said he was not working in conjunction with Claremont Cares, which he characterized as a nonpartisan group.

Contois charged that it was Matteau who “made things personal” when she “attacked me and had me illegally removed from the Council.”

“That cost the city thousands of dollars and they didn’t let me back on the Council; I sued and took my seat back,” Contois said.

In 2022, Contois was accused of dereliction of duty, as defined in the city charter, for failing to inform the Council of the actions taken by the Historic District Commission, of which he is the Council representative. Initially, the Council deadlocked 4-4 to remove Contois, but a week later, Matteau changed her vote and Contois was removed 5-3.

Contois took the city to court and the city’s attorney recommended he be reinstated, which Matteau supported. The city had to reimburse Contois’ legal fees up to $3,000.

Matteau said there is no doubt in her mind Contois targeted her for her vote to remove him. When she changed her vote on the advice of the attorney, Matteau said she “thought it was over.”

Matteau, who said she has always been a Democrat and largely votes in line with the party, said she believes Republican voters pulled her across the finish line ahead of Zutter.

“I would not have won, had it not been for the Republicans in Claremont,” Matteau said. “Jon Stone worked hard for me because he felt the group was being unfair to me so he helped me out a lot.”

In other races for the nine-member Council on Tuesday, incumbent at-large Councilor Nick Koloski, was elected to an eighth term with 1,002 votes, followed by William Limoges, 956, who was re-elected to his at-large seat. Newcomers Wayne Hemingway, who earned 797 votes, and Joel Tremblay, with 674, won the two other at-large seats.

Kevin Tyson was fifth with 644 votes, then Michael Huse Jr, 326; Gary Savoie, 302; and John Wood-Giosi, 131.

Tyson won Ward I over Tremblay by 17 votes and Ward III by seven votes, but lost Ward II by 54 votes.

Matteau defeated Zutter in Ward I, 232-174, and Ward III, 262-222. Zutter won in Ward II, 344-282.

Mayor Dale Girard, Ward I Councilor Andrew O’Hearne and Ward II Councilor Spencer Batchelder were unopposed in their re-election.

Incumbent at-large Councilor Matt Mooshian did not run.

Voter turnout citywide was 25% or 1,575 of the city’s 6,230 registered voters.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.