Republicans desperate for good news on a dark night of political disappointments can look to New Hampshire, where Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais won a landslide reelection in the purple state’s largest city.

It’s a small victory compared to the Democrats’ sweep of governors’ races in New Jersey and Virginia and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. But in an ugly election cycle for the GOP, partisan beggars can’t be choosers.

Ruais, 40, defeated his Democratic challenger, former school board member Jess Spillers, 58 to 40 percent.

In a state that hasn’t elected a Republican to federal office in a decade or backed a GOP presidential candidate since 2000, Ruais has been a political overachiever. He won an upset victory two years ago over three-term Democrat Joyce Craig’s hand-picked candidate (she

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