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 2026, this is the last time a Democrat was elected Governor of New Hampshire.
Hassan would retire in 2016 to run successfully for the Senate.
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 1924 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 had 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
Hassan won the Democratic Party primary, held on September 9, 2014, with 94.3% of the votes cast.
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
Havenstein won the Republican Party primary, held on September 9, 2014, with 55.6% of the votes cast.
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 (ran for NH-01)
- Gary Lambert, former state senator (ran for NH-02)
- 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 (ran for re-election)
- John E. Sununu, former U.S. senator
General election
Debates
- Complete video of debate, October 22, 2014
Results
By county
Counties that swung from Democratic to Republican
- Belknap (largest city: Laconia)
- Hillsborough (largest municipality: Manchester)
- Rockingham (largest municipality: Derry)
By congressional district
Hassan won both congressional districts, including one that elected a Republican.