2004 New Hampshire gubernatorial election
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The 2004 New Hampshire gubernatorial election occurred on November 2, 2004, concurrent with that year's presidential election. Democrat John Lynch, a multimillionaire businessman from Hopkinton, narrowly defeated incumbent Republican governor Craig Benson of Rye, winning a two-year term. Benson was the first New Hampshire governor in 80 years to lose reelection after one term. Lynch was sworn in on January 6, 2005.
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November 2, 2004
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Lynch: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% >90% Benson: 50–60% 60–70% 80–90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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To date, Benson is the most recent incumbent governor to lose reelection in any New England state.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- John Lynch, businessman and University System of New Hampshire Trustee
- Paul McEachern, perennial candidate
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Lynch | 43,798 | 74.28% | |
| Democratic | Paul McEachern | 14,403 | 24.43% | |
| Democratic | Write-ins | 761 | 1.29% | |
| Total votes | 58,962 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Craig Benson, incumbent governor of New Hampshire
- Charles Tarbell, New Castle selectman
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Craig Benson (incumbent) | 49,097 | 74.00% | |
| Republican | Charles Tarbell | 13,621 | 20.53% | |
| Republican | Write-ins | 3,632 | 5.47% | |
| Total votes | 66,350 | 100.00% | ||
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[3] | Lean R | November 1, 2004 |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Lynch | 340,299 | 51.02% | +12.80% | |
| Republican | Craig Benson (incumbent) | 325,981 | 48.87% | −9.75% | |
| Write-in | 740 | 0.11% | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 667,020 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
By county
| County | John Lynch Democratic |
Craig Benson Republican |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Belknap | 14,304 | 44.8% | 17,598 | 55.1% | 45 | 0.1% | -3,294 | -10.3% | 31,947 |
| Carroll | 12,003 | 43.1% | 15,797 | 56.8% | 20 | 0.1% | -3,794 | -13.7% | 27,820 |
| Cheshire | 24,085 | 59.6% | 16,225 | 40.1% | 107 | 0.3% | 7,860 | 19.5% | 40,417 |
| Coos | 8,884 | 53.2% | 7,790 | 46.7% | 14 | 0.1% | 1,094 | 6.5% | 16,688 |
| Grafton | 25,043 | 54.5% | 20,842 | 45.4% | 45 | 0.1% | 4,201 | 9.1% | 45,930 |
| Hillsborough | 91,344 | 47.5% | 100,867 | 52.4% | 205 | 0.1% | -9,523 | -4.9% | 192,416 |
| Merrimack | 45,403 | 59.8% | 30,443 | 40.1% | 89 | 0.1% | 14,960 | 19.7% | 75,935 |
| Rockingham | 75,885 | 48.6% | 80,174 | 51.3% | 141 | 0.1% | -4,289 | -2.7% | 156,200 |
| Strafford | 31,912 | 54.8% | 26,261 | 45.1% | 56 | 0.1% | 5,651 | 9.7% | 58,229 |
| Sullivan | 11,436 | 53.3% | 9,984 | 46.6% | 24 | 0.1% | 1,452 | 6.7% | 21,444 |
| Totals | 340,299 | 51.0% | 325,981 | 48.9% | 740 | 0.1% | 14,318 | 2.1% | 667,020 |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic