For related races, see 2004 United States gubernatorial elections.
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County results
Municipality resultsLynch: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% >90%Benson: 50–60% 60–70% 80–90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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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.
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 | 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 | |||||
Counties that swung from Republican to Democratic
- Coös (largest city: Berlin)
- Grafton (largest city: Lebanon)
- Merrimack (largest city: Concord)
- Strafford (largest city: Dover)
- Sullivan (largest city: Claremont)
See also
References
- "NH-SOS - NHSOS". Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
- "NH-SOS - NHSOS". Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
- "The Final Predictions". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- "NH-SOS - NHSOS".
External links
| (2003 ←) 2004 United States elections (→ 2005) | |
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