John Hayden Lynch (born November 25, 1952) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 80th governor of New Hampshire from 2005 to 2013.[1] Lynch was first elected governor in 2004, defeating first-term Republican incumbent Craig Benson – the first time a first-term incumbent New Hampshire governor was defeated for re-election in 80 years.[2] Lynch won re-election in landslide victories in 2006 and 2008, and comfortably won a fourth term in 2010.[3]
Lynch is the most popular governor in New Hampshire history and, while in office, consistently ranked among the nation's most popular governors.[4][5][6][7][8]