NH governor's race: The sleepiest state primary?

On Sept. 8, Granite Staters will head to the polls to decide who will appear on the General Election ballot in November. 

Today, we’re taking a trip to the executive branch. Next up on our list of primary primers: The race for governor. Unlike most states, New Hampshire elects a new governor every two years, here’s an overview of their duties.

The big picture

To put it bluntly: These primaries are pretty dull, at least compared to what’s going on at the federal level. That said, recent polling shows they’ll likely set the stage for an interesting general election. Though Republicans have held the governors’ seat since 2017 (mostly thanks to four-term former Gov. Chris Sununu), it’s flipped between parties in the past.

But that’s no excuse not to vote. Even in seemingly sleepier races, your voice still matters — just ask our friends at Civics 101.

Later this fall, NHPR will host our own candidate forums with the winners of each primary.

The state of the race: Republicans

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Unsurprisingly, the incumbent is leading the field. Gov. Kelly Ayotte heads into the primary in a very confident position as she seeks her second term. On the legislative front, her first term has been defined by her willingness to buck her party and use her veto pen liberally. But her reelection campaign is attempting to highlight her working relationship with lawmakers, particularly her wins across education, public safety, and housing policy. Recent polling shows her approval and favorability ratings around 50%.

Kelly Ayotte, incumbent governor, faces Shaun Fife and Robert Wayne McClory.

The state of the race: Democrats

On the Democratic side ... there’s Cinde Warmington. Yes, only Cinde Warmington. Since she’s running unopposed, Warmington will automatically advance to the November ballot. An attorney and former member of New Hampshire’s Executive Council, this is her second attempt at the governor’s office — after losing the Democratic primary in 2024. Warmington has taken a lot of heat from her rivals in both parties for her former work as an opioid lobbyist for Purdue Pharma, but she recently put out a rebuttal video that attempts to distance herself from the actions of her former client.

This originally appeared as a special edition of The Rundown, the NHPR daily newsletter.

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