2004 New Hampshire gubernatorial election

2004 New Hampshire gubernatorial election

← 2002 November 2, 2004 2006 →
 
Nominee John Lynch Craig Benson
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 340,299 325,981
Percentage 51.0% 48.9%

Lynch:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      >90%
Benson:      50–60%      60–70%      80–90%      >90%

Governor before election

Craig Benson
Republican

Elected Governor

John Lynch
Democratic

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.