 | |||||||||||
November 3, 2026
| |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Elections in New Hampshire |
|---|
 |
The 2026 New Hampshire gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The primary elections will take place on September 8, 2026.[1] Incumbent Republican governor Kelly Ayotte is running for re-election to a second term in office.
Along with neighboring Vermont, this will be one of two Republican-held governorships up for election in a state that Kamala Harris won in the 2024 presidential election.
Background
New Hampshire has voted Democratic in each presidential race starting in 2004. The state's congressional delegation has been entirely Democratic since 2017. Conversely, Republicans hold a trifecta on the statewide level, with a supermajority in the New Hampshire Senate.[2]
In 2024, Kelly Ayotte won the gubernatorial election by 9.34%.[3]
Republican primary
Candidates
Declared
Declined
- Dan Innis, state senator (2016–2018, 2022–present), candidate for New Hampshire's 1st congressional district in 2014, and previous candidate for U.S. Senate in 2026 (running for re-election)[7]
Endorsements
Kelly Ayotte
Democratic primary
Candidates
Presumptive nominee
- Cinde Warmington, former New Hampshire Executive Councilor (2021–2025) and candidate for governor in 2024[10]
Withdrawn
- Jon Kiper, former Newmarket town councilor and 2024 gubernatorial candidate (running as an independent)[11]
Declined
- Carleigh Beriont, Hampton selectwoman (Running for Congress)[12]
- Donovan Fenton, state senator from the 10th district (2022–present)[13]
- Deaglan McEachern, mayor of Portsmouth (2022–present)[14]
- Andru Volinsky, former New Hampshire Executive Councilor (2017–2021) and candidate for governor in 2020[15]
- Julia Williams, healthcare executive and daughter of former governor John Lynch[16][17]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Jon Kiper |
Cinde Warmington |
Undecided | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2026 | Kiper switches to run as an Independent[11] | ||||||||
| Saint Anselm College[18] | March 16–18, 2026 | 691 (RV) | ± 3.7% | 13% | 40% | 47% | |||
Third parties and independent candidates
Candidates
Declared
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Elections[20] | Solid R | August 28, 2025 |
| Race to the WH[21] | Lean R | June 19, 2026 |
| RealClearPolitics[22] | Lean R | June 5, 2026 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[23] | Likely R | September 4, 2025 |
| The Cook Political Report[24] | Likely R | September 11, 2025 |
Polling
Kelly Ayotte vs. Cinde Warmington
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Kelly Ayotte (R) |
Cinde Warmington (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Anselm College[25] | June 24–25, 2026 | 1,614 (RV) | ± 2.4% | 45% | 37% | – | 18% |
| University of New Hampshire[26] | June 18–23, 2026 | 2,232 (LV) | ± 2.1% | 44% | 39% | 3% | 13% |
| University of New Hampshire[27] | April 17–21, 2026 | 1,117 (LV) | ± 2.9% | 47% | 39% | 4%[c] | 10% |
| Saint Anselm College[18] | March 16–18, 2026 | 1,491 (RV) | ± 2.5% | 46% | 39% | – | 15% |
Hypothetical polling
Kelly Ayotte vs. Jon Kiper
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Kelly Ayotte (R) |
Jon Kiper (D) |
Other | Undecided | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2026 | Kiper switches to run as an Independent[11] | ||||||||
| Saint Anselm College[18] | March 16–18, 2026 | 1,491 (RV) | ± 2.5% | 45% | 31% | – | 24% | ||
| yes. every kid. (D)[28] | January 28–29, 2026 | 563 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 47% | 37% | – | 16% | ||
| University of New Hampshire[29] | January 15–19, 2026 | 2,053 (LV) | ± 2.1% | 50% | 39% | 2%[d] | 9% | ||
Kelly Ayotte vs. Deaglan McEachern
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Kelly Ayotte (R) |
Deaglan McEachern (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of New Hampshire[29] | January 15–19, 2026 | 2,053 (LV) | ± 2.1% | 49% | 41% | 0%[e] | 10% |
Kelly Ayotte vs. Generic Democrat
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Kelly Ayotte (R) |
Generic Democrat |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| co/efficient (R)[30] | October 9–13, 2025 | 1,034 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 43% | 40% | 17% |
See also
Notes
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear - Kiper initially announced his candidacy as an independent, but later chose to enter the Democratic primary. In April 2026, he reversed the decision and announced he would continue to run as an independent.
- "Another candidate" with 4%
- "Another candidate" with 2%
- "Another candidate" with 0%
References
- "2026 State Primary Election Dates". NCSL. May 9, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- Cullen, Margie (November 7, 2024). "NH keeps GOP in control of state while voting for Democrats in D.C. Experts explain why". Portsmouth Herald. Archived from the original on November 7, 2024. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
- "New Hampshire Governor". Cook Political Report. January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - Skipworth, William (May 18, 2026). "Ayotte's opponents on the campaign trail take aim at her Medicaid record". New Hampshire Bulletin. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- "NH Secretary of State Filings" (PDF).
- Tracy, Paula; InDepthNH.org; June 13, InDepthNH org; 2026 (June 13, 2026). "Table Set for Elections This Fall in New Hampshire". InDepthNH.org. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
{{cite web}}:|last4=has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - Kashinsky, Lisa; Garrity, Kelly; Ward, Myah (October 2, 2025). "Lewandowski weighs bid against Gov. Ayotte amid White House pressure campaign". Politico. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- Sexton, Adam (May 19, 2026). "Ayotte gains support of firefighters union after fighting for retirement benefits". WMUR. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- "Turning Point Action Endorsements". Turning Point Action. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
- Sexton, Adam (February 18, 2026). "News 9 Exclusive: Democrat Cinde Warmington running for New Hampshire governor". WMUR-TV. Retrieved February 18, 2026.
- Graham, Michael (April 14, 2026). "Former Dem Kiper Forming Third Party, Staying in Gov's Race". NH Journal. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
- Sexton, Adam (May 25, 2026). "Carleigh Beriont rejects calls to run for governor | CloseUp". WMUR. Retrieved May 25, 2026.
- Nir, David; Singer, Jeff (March 2, 2026). "Morning Digest: Missouri candidates start filing for a district that may not exist". The Downballot. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- Sexton, Adam (February 26, 2026). "Portsmouth Mayor Deaglan McEachern decides against running for NH governor". WMUR. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
- Colson, Nicole (September 12, 2025). "On WKBK, Volinsky Urges Tax Reform to Fix N.H. School Funding". My Keene Now. Retrieved September 20, 2025.
- Landrigan, Kevin (January 23, 2026). "State House Dome: Democrats eye candidate for governor with family ties". UnionLeader.com. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
- Porter, Steven [@reporterporter] (February 4, 2026). "Can confirm: Julia Williams tells me she's unable to run for office at this time bc she needs add'l hip surgery in the coming months. Also: Williams said the reporting on her apparent out-of-state residence within the past 7 years had "absolutely no impact" on her decision" (Tweet) – via X (formerly Twitter).
- Levesque, Neil; Sisco, Tauna (March 23, 2026). "A Survey of New Hampshire Registered Voters" (PDF). Retrieved March 23, 2026.
- "NH Secretary of State Declarations of Intent" (PDF).
- "Gubernatorial Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
- "Governor Forecast – 2026-2026". Race to the WH. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
- "2026 Governor Races | RealClearPolitics". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
- "2026 Governor". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
- "2026 CPR Governor Race ratings". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
- "Saint Anselm College Survey Center June Poll Finds Democrats Expand Generic Ballot Lead". Saint Anselm College. June 30, 2026. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- McKinley, Sean P.; Smith, Andrew E.; Azem, Zachary S.; Keirn, Tracy (June 30, 2026). "Races Tighten in New Hampshire for Governor and Senate Island". University of New Hampshire. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
- McKinley, Sean P.; Smith, Andrew E.; Azem, Zachary S.; Keirns, Tracy (April 23, 2026). "NH Senate Race: Sununu Increases GOP Primary Lead, Pappas Leads General Election Matchups". UNH Scholars Repository. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
- "New Hampshire voters support expanded public school access". yes. every kid. February 13, 2026. Retrieved February 14, 2026.
- McKinley, Sean P.; Smith, Andrew E.; Azem, Zachary S.; Keirns, Tracy (January 21, 2026). "Sununu, Pappas Frontrunners in 2026 NH Senate Race; Ayotte Favored for Re-election as Governor". UNH Scholars Repository. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- "New Hampshire Senate 2026 General Election". co/efficient. October 13, 2025. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
External links
- Official campaign websites