The 2012 New Hampshire gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election, U.S. House elections, and various state and local elections.
Four-term incumbent governor John Lynch was eligible to seek a fifth term. In the fall of 2011, Lynch announced that he would retire rather than run for re-election. On September 11, 2012, Democrat Maggie Hassan and Republican Ovide Lamontagne defeated primary opponents to win their parties' nominations. Hassan won the election while carrying every county in the state and began the two-year term on January 3, 2013.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Jackie Cilley, former state Senator
Maggie Hassan, former majority leader of the New Hampshire Senate
Bill Kennedy, firefighter and retired Air Force officer
Declined
Mark Connolly, former director of the New Hampshire's Bureau of Securities Regulation
Tom Ferrini, mayor of Portsmouth
Gary Hirshberg, chairman and former CEO of Stonyfield Farm
John Lynch, incumbent governor
Steve Marchand, former mayor of Portsmouth
Phil McLaughlin, former state Attorney General
Terry Shumaker, lawyer and former United States Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago
Polling
Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Jackie
Cilley
Maggie
Hassan
Other
Undecided
Public Policy Polling
August 9–12, 2012
400
± 4.9%
24%
**30%**
—
**46%**
Public Policy Polling
May 10–13, 2012
477
± 4.5%
20%
**23%**
—
**57%**
Results
Results by county:
]]
Republican primary
Candidates
Ovide M. Lamontagne, attorney, 1992 congressional candidate, nominee for governor in 1996 and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010
Kevin H. Smith, conservative activist and former state Representative
Robert Tarr
Declined
Bill Binnie, businessman and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010
Jeb Bradley, New Hampshire Senate Majority Leader and former U.S. Representative
Peter Bragdon, state Senate President
Ted Gatsas, Mayor of Manchester
Steve Kenda, businessman
John Lyons, chairman of the New Hampshire Board of Education
John Stephen, former Health and Human Services Commissioner and Republican nominee for governor in 2010
Polling
Poll source
Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin of
error
Ovide
Lamontagne
Kevin
Smith
Other
Undecided
Public Policy Polling
August 9–12, 2012
662
± 3.8%
**49%**
21%
—
30%
Public Policy Polling
May 10–13, 2012
555
± 4.2%
**53%**
13%
—
34%
Public Policy Polling
January 7–8, 2012
1,771
± 2.3%
**40%**
12%
—
**48%**
Results
Results by county:
]]
General election
Candidates
John Babiarz (Libertarian), businessman and party nominee for governor in 2000, 2002, and 2010
Maggie Hassan (D), former majority leader of the New Hampshire Senate
Ovide Lamontagne (R), attorney, Republican nominee for governor in 1996, and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010
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[http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP_Release_IANH_1104.pdf Public Policy Polling]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121119105600/http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/e2012_election110412.pdf WMUR/University of New Hampshire]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121104040600/http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/e2012_pres110312.pdf WMUR/University of New Hampshire]
[http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP_Release_NH_1028.pdf Public Policy Polling]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20130116122113/http://www.wmur.com/political-scoop/Exclusive-First-New-England-College-Poll-shows-presidential-race-and-governor-s-race-tied-in-NH/-/16254890/17139318/-/2ivk5kz/-/index.html New England College]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20130113132914/http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/gsp2012_fall_nhraces101112.pdf WMUR/University of New Hampshire]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20130503001614/http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/gsp2012_fall_govrace100212.pdf WMUR/University of New Hampshire]
[http://act.boldprogressives.org/signup/signup_nh_poll/?source=2012polling Public Policy Polling]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120929234230/http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/MSNBC/Sections/A_Politics/_Today_Stories_Teases/Marist_NH_9-27.pdf NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist College]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20121101130502/http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/gsp2012_summer_govrace081412.pdf WMUR/University of New Hampshire]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120601123952/http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/gsp2012_spring_govapp042412.pdf WMUR/University of New Hampshire]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20130515002054/http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/gsp2012_winter_govapp020612.pdf WMUR/University of New Hampshire]
[http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_NH_712424.pdf Public Policy Polling]
[http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_NH_0407925.pdf Public Policy Polling]
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