2014 New Hampshire gubernatorial election
The 2014 New Hampshire gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the Governor of New Hampshire, concurrently with the election to New Hampshire's Class II U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Incumbent Democratic Governor Maggie Hassan ran for re-election to a second term in office. She defeated the Republican nominee, businessman Walt Havenstein. As of 2019, this is the last time a Democrat was elected Governor of New Hampshire.
Background
Incumbent Democratic Governor John Lynch decided to retire in 2012, rather than seek re-election to a fifth term in office. The Democratic nominee, former State Senate Majority Leader Maggie Hassan, defeated the Republican nominee, attorney and 1996 gubernatorial nominee Ovide M. Lamontagne, 55% to 43%.New Hampshire and Vermont are the only states in the country whose governors are elected every two years. On only one occasion since 1926 has a first-term governor of New Hampshire been defeated for re-election to a second term: in 2004, when Lynch beat incumbent Republican Governor Craig Benson.
Hassan also had and continues to have high approval ratings. An April 2014 WMUR/University of New Hampshire poll found that 57% of registered voters approved of the job she was doing, 58% had a favorable opinion of her, and 70% thought the state was going in the right direction. For these reasons, Hassan was not considered vulnerable going into the election. The Cook Political Report, Daily Kos Elections, Governing and Sabato's Crystal Ball all considered the race "likely Democratic" and RealClearPolitics and The Rothenberg Political Report rated the race "safe Democratic".
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Ian Freeman, radio show host
- Maggie Hassan, incumbent Governor
- Clecia Terrio, candidate for the State House in 2012
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
- Daniel J. Greene
- Walt Havenstein, businessman
- Andrew Hemingway, businessman, Tea Party activist and candidate for Chairman of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee in 2013
- Jonathan Smolin
Declined
- William Harrison Binnie, industrialist, investment banker and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010
- Jeb Bradley, Majority Leader of the New Hampshire Senate and former U.S. Representative
- Brad Cook, attorney
- Jeanie Forrester, state senator
- Ted Gatsas, Mayor of Manchester
- Frank Guinta, former U.S. Representative
- Gary Lambert, former state senator
- George Lambert, state representative
- Ovide Lamontagne, businessman, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010 and nominee for Governor in 1996 and 2012
- Chuck Morse, state senator
- Bob Odell, state senator
- John Reagan, state senator
- Chuck Rolecek, businessman and candidate for the Executive Council of New Hampshire in 2012
- Andy Sanborn, state senator
- Kevin H. Smith, conservative activist, former State Representative and candidate for Governor in 2012
- John Stephen, former Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services and nominee for Governor in 2010
- Christopher Sununu, Executive Councillor, son of former Governor John H. Sununu and brother of former U.S. Senator John E. Sununu
- John E. Sununu, former U.S. Senator
Polling
General election
Debates
- , October 22, 2014
Predictions
Polling
Hypothetical polling | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Results |