John Lynch
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John Lynch
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 6, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Craig Benson |
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| Born | November 25, 1952 Waltham, Massachusetts |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Susan Lynch |
| Residence | Hopkinton, New Hampshire |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University, University of New Hampshire |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www.nh.gov/governor/ |
John H. Lynch (born November 25, 1952, Waltham, Massachusetts) is the current Governor of New Hampshire.
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[edit] Personal life and career
He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire in 1974, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
Prior to his election, Lynch's career included work as Director of Admissions at Harvard Business School, CEO of Knoll Inc., a national furniture manufacturer, and president of The Lynch Group, a business consulting firm in Manchester, New Hampshire. Lynch was serving as Chairman of the University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees when he announced he would run for governor.
He and his wife, Dr. Susan Lynch, live in Hopkinton, New Hampshire. They have three children, Jacqueline, Julia and Hayden. Jacqueline, the eldest, currently attends Bucknell University. Julia currently attends Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Hayden currently attends Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts.
[edit] Governorship
A businessman and Democratic Party politician, Lynch was elected on November 2, 2004, defeating Republican incumbent Craig Benson by a narrow margin. Lynch was the first challenger to defeat a one-term incumbent in New Hampshire in 78 years. He was sworn in on January 6, 2005. As Governor, he is a member of both the National Governors Association and the Democratic Governors Association.
In a Survey USA Governor's Ratings poll released on December 20, 2005, Lynch was ranked as the most popular of all Democratic incumbents, with 69% approval versus 21% disapproval. As of February, 2008, he has an approval rating of 73%, one of the highest such ratings in the country.[1]. As of June 20, 2008 his approval rating is 57% good or excellent and 11% poor[2].
In April 2006, Lynch was awarded the National Chairman of Volunteers Award for Volunteer Excellence by the American Red Cross, mainly due to his leadership during the 2005 floods. [3]
Lynch was elected to a second two year term in a 74-26 landslide over Republican Jim Coburn. Lynch's coattails helped Democrats take over both houses of the State Legislature, and upset incumbent Congressmen Charlie Bass and Jeb Bradley. Lynch's 74 percent of the vote was the largest margin of victory ever in a New Hampshire gubernatorial race. [1] Lynch's poll numbers also improved following his successful reelection. His approval rating rose to 79% in November and his disapproval rating dropped to 17%. This makes him the second most popular governor in the nation behind John Hoeven[4]
Lynch describes his first term as a period in which bipartisan unity was accomplished. With the support of Republicans, Lynch was able to to eliminate the state's budget deficit, design a plan to help small businesses with health care costs, and create new laws protecting children from predators. He lists some of the goals of his current term as raising the graduation rate and test scores, increasing the quality of education is struggling schools, making healthcare more accessible, and preserve the state's environment[2].
Governor Lynch generally holds liberal social views but more conservative economic beliefs, as is in line with the somewhat libertarian nature of New Hampshire. He supports abortion rights and would like to make emergency contraception more accessible, favors legalizing civil unions for gay couples within his state, and supports upholding New Hampshire's current gun laws and death penalty. However, he is a strong supporter of requiring balanced budgets and is an opponent of the sales and income tax[3].
[edit] Electoral history
| New Hampshire Gubernatorial Election 2004 | |||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | John Lynch | 340,299 | 51.07 | +12.87 | |
| Republican | Craig Benson (Incumbent) | 325,981 | 48.93 | -9.67 | |
| New Hampshire Gubernatorial Election 2006 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | John Lynch (Incumbent) | 289,677 | 73.5 | +22.5 | |
| Republican | Jim Coburn | 104,223 | 26.5 | -22.7 | |
[edit] References
- ^ Lynch still enjoys high job approval - Boston.com
- ^ Rasmussen Reports™: The most comprehensive public opinion coverage ever provided for a presidential election
- ^ "American Red Cross Honors John Lynch". American Red Cross. Retrieved on 2006-06-25.
- ^ http://www.surveyusa.com/50State2006/Approval50StateGovernor061120.htm
[edit] External links
- New Hampshire Governor John Lynch official state site
- John Lynch for New Hampshire official campaign site
- National Governors Association - New Hampshire Governor John Lynch biography
- Follow the Money - John Lynch 2006 campaign contributions
- On the Issues - John Lynch issue positions and quotes
- Project Vote Smart - Governor John Lynch (NH) profile
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Craig Benson |
Governor of New Hampshire January 6, 2005–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Mark Fernald |
Democratic Party nominee for Governor of New Hampshire 2004, 2006, 2008 |
Succeeded by Current nominee |
| Order of precedence in the United States of America | ||
| Preceded by Dick Cheney Vice President of the United States Lynne Cheney Second Lady of the United States (if present) |
United States order of precedence In New Hampshire |
Succeeded by Mayors of New Hampshire cities if present next fixed Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the United States House of Representatives |
| Preceded by Mark Sanford Governor of South Carolina |
United States order of precedence Outside New Hampshire |
Succeeded by Tim Kaine Governor of Virginia |
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