| Governor of New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| Government of New Hampshire | |
| Style |
|
| Status | |
| Member of | Governor's Council Cabinet |
| Residence | Bridges House |
| Seat | Concord,New Hampshire |
| Term length | Two years, no term limits |
| Constituting instrument | New Hampshire Constitution of 1776 |
| Precursor |
|
| Formation | January 21, 1680 (345 years ago) (1680-01-21) |
| Succession | Line of succession |
| Salary | $146,172[2] |
| Website | Official website |
Thegovernor of New Hampshire is thehead of government of theU.S. state ofNew Hampshire.
The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years.New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with borderingVermont, to hold gubernatorial elections every two years as opposed to every four. Currently, the state's 83rd governor isRepublicanKelly Ayotte, who has served since January 9, 2025.
In New Hampshire, the governor has noterm limit of any kind. Only two governors have served more than three terms since the 18th century (when the term was for only one year),John Lynch, who won a fourth two-year term on November 2, 2010, andChris Sununu, who won a fourth two-year term on November 8, 2022.[3]John Taylor Gilman had been the last governor before Lynch to serve longer than six years, serving 14 one-year terms as governor between 1794 and 1816. Gilman is one of seven governors to serve non-consecutive terms, the others beingJohn Langdon,John Sullivan,William Plumer,Benjamin Pierce,James A. Weston, andJohn Gilbert Winant.
Unlike in many other states in which executive councils are merely advisory, theExecutive Council of New Hampshire has a strong check on the governor's power. The five-member council has a veto over many actions of the governor. Together, the governor and Executive Council approve contracts with a value of $5,000 or more, approvepardons, and appoint the directors and commissioners, judges, theattorney general and officers in theNational Guard.
To be qualified to be governor, one must be 30 years of age, a registered voter, and domiciled in New Hampshire for at least seven years.[4]
Traditionally, thegovernors of the colonialProvince of New Hampshire were titled as "President of New Hampshire", beginning with the appointment of the province's first president,John Cutt, in 1679. After independence, from 1786 to 1791, "President of the State of New Hampshire" was the official style of the position. TheNew Hampshire Constitution was amended in 1791 to replace "President" with "Governor".
TheConstitution of New Hampshire details the duties and powers of the governor:[5]
Established by Part 2, Article 49 of theConstitution of New Hampshire.[6]
| # | Office | Current officer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | President of theSenate | Sharon Carson (R) |
| 2 | Speaker of theHouse of Representatives | Sherman Packard (R) |
| 3 | Secretary of State | David Scanlan (R) |
| 4 | State Treasurer | Monica Mezzapelle (D) |
| Timeline of New Hampshire governors |
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| Authority control databases: National |
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