2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election

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2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election
Flag of New Hampshire.svg
  2018 November 3, 2020 2022  
  GOV SUNUNU OFFICIAL PHOTO (cropped).jpg Dan Feltes NH (cropped 2).jpg
Nominee Chris Sununu Dan Feltes
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote516,609264,639
Percentage65.12%33.36%

2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election results map by municipality.svg
2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election results by congressional district.svg
NH Governor 2020.svg
Sununu:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Feltes:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     >90%
     No votes

Governor before election

Chris Sununu
Republican

Elected Governor

Chris Sununu
Republican

The 2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the governor of New Hampshire. [1] Incumbent Republican governor Chris Sununu was re-elected to a third two-year term in office with more than 65% of the vote and winning every county, defeating his opponent Dan Feltes, the Majority Leader of the Senate. [2] Nine governors ran for re-election in this cycle and all nine were re-elected. Sununu's win marked the first time since 1986 that a Republican was elected to a third term as governor, in which year his father, John H. Sununu was reelected for his third and final term. The elder Sununu chose not to seek reelection in 1988, instead becoming George H. W. Bush's chief of staff in 1989.

Contents

Sununu became the first person to get more than half a million votes in a New Hampshire gubernatorial election, making him the top vote-getter in the history of statewide elections in the state.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

  • Nobody, activist formerly known as Rich Paul [4]
  • Karen Testerman, Franklin city councilor [5]

Declined

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [a]
Margin
of error
Chris
Sununu
Karen
Testerman
OtherUndecided
University of New Hampshire [8] August 28 – September 1, 2020703 (LV)± 3.7%82%15%1% [b] 2%
Robocent/Free Keene [9] August 24, 20201,219 (RV)± 2.8%79%5%16% [c]
Saint Anselm College [10] August 15–17, 2020475 (RV)± 4.5%82%7%3% [d] 8%

Results

Results by county:
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Sununu--80-90%
Sununu-->=90% 2020 NH GOV GOP primary.svg
Results by county:
  Sununu—80–90%
  Sununu—≥90%
Republican primary results [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Chris Sununu (incumbent) 130,703 89.67%
Republican Karen Testerman13,5899.32%
Republican Nobody1,2390.85%
Democratic Dan Feltes (write-in)30.002%
Democratic Andru Volinsky (write-in)930.063%
Total votes145,757 100.0%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Endorsements

Dan Feltes

Local and state politicians

Labor unions

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [a]
Margin
of error
Dan
Feltes
Andru
Volinsky
OtherUndecided
University of New Hampshire [8] August 28 – September 1, 2020839 (LV)± 3.4%36%38%4% [e] 22%
Saint Anselm College [10] August 15–17, 2020498 (RV)± 4.4%22%19%13% [f] 46%

Results

Results by county:
Feltes--50-60%
Volinsky--50-60% 2020 NH GOV DEM primary.svg
Results by county:
  Feltes—50–60%
  Volinsky—50–60%
Democratic primary results [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Dan Feltes 72,318 50.90%
Democratic Andru Volinsky 65,45546.06%
Republican Chris Sununu (write-in)4,2763.00%
Republican Karen Testerman (write-in)390.03%
Republican Nobody (write-in)60.01%
Total votes142,094 100.0%

Other candidates

Libertarian Party

Nominee

  • Darryl W. Perry, author and candidate for U.S. president in 2016 [23] [24]

Independent

Did not qualify for the ballot

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
The Cook Political Report [26] Safe ROctober 23, 2020
Inside Elections [27] Likely ROctober 28, 2020
Sabato's Crystal Ball [28] Likely RNovember 2, 2020
Politico [29] Likely RNovember 2, 2020
Daily Kos [30] Safe ROctober 28, 2020
RCP [31] Likely RNovember 2, 2020
270towin [32] Likely RNovember 2, 2020

Endorsements

Dan Feltes (D)

Local and state politicians

Darryl W. Perry (L)

Politicians

  • Ken Armstrong, 2020 Libertarian candidate for president/vice president [33]
  • Caleb Q. Dyer, former state representative and House Libertarian Caucus leader [33]

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [a]
Margin
of error
Chris
Sununu (R)
Dan
Feltes (D)
Other /
Undecided
American Research Group [34] October 26–28, 2020864 (LV)± 4.6%51%46%3% [g]
University of New Hampshire [8] October 24–28, 20201,889 (LV)± 2.3%60%36%3% [h]
Saint Anselm College [35] October 23–26, 20201,018 (LV)± 3.1%60%35%6% [i]
YouGov/UMass Amherst [36] October 16–26, 2020757 (LV)± 4.5%59%36%5% [j]
University of New Hampshire [37] October 9–12, 2020899 (LV)± 3.2%62%37%1% [k]
Suffolk University [38] October 8–12, 2020500 (LV)± 4.4%55%31%14% [l]
Saint Anselm College [39] October 1–4, 20201,147 (LV)± 2.9%58%35%7% [m]
Emerson College [40] September 30 – October 1, 2020700 (LV)± 3.6%55%40%5% [n]
American Research Group [41] September 25–28, 2020600 (LV)± 4%52%44%4% [o]
University of New Hampshire [37] September 24–28, 2020972 (LV)± 3.1%55%37%5% [j]
YouGov/UMass Lowell [42] September 17–25, 2020657 (LV)±  4.6%60%34%7% [p]
University of New Hampshire [8] August 28 – September 1, 20201,889 (LV)± 2.3%57%33%9% [q]
University of New Hampshire [43] July 16–28, 20201,893 (LV)± 2.2%59%28%13% [r]
University of New Hampshire [43] June 18–22, 2020932 (LV)± 2.8%62%23%15% [s]
We Ask America [44] June 13–15, 2020500 (LV)± 4.4%59%20%21% [t]
University of New Hampshire [43] May 14–18, 2020788 (LV)± 3.2%61%21%18% [u]
University of New Hampshire [45] February 19–25, 2020576 (LV)± 4.1%56%27%18% [v]
Emerson College [46] September 6–9, 20191,041 (RV)± 3.0%53%37%10% [w]
Hypothetical polling

with Andru Volinsky

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [a]
Margin
of error
Chris
Sununu
(R)
Andru
Volinsky
(D)
Other /
Undecided
University of New Hampshire [8] August 28 – September 1, 20201,889 (LV)± 2.3%58%32%8% [x]
University of New Hampshire [43] July 16–28, 20201,893 (LV)± 2.2%58%29%13% [r]
University of New Hampshire [43] June 18–22, 2020932 (LV)± 2.8%62%22%16% [y]
University of New Hampshire [43] May 14–18, 2020788 (LV)± 3.2%61%20%19% [z]
University of New Hampshire [45] February 19–25, 2020576 (LV)± 4.1%54%29%16% [aa]

Results

2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election [47]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Chris Sununu (incumbent) 516,609 65.12% +12.34%
Democratic Dan Feltes 264,63933.36%−12.38%
Libertarian Darryl W. Perry11,3291.43%0.00%
Write-in 6830.09%+0.04%
Total votes793,260 100.0%
Turnout 814,44968.16%
Registered electors 1,194,843
Republican hold

By county

By county
County Chris Sununu
Republican
Dan Feltes
Democratic
Darryl Perry
Libertarian
Write-in MarginTotal
votes
#%#%#%#%#%
Belknap 28,07473.689,49124.915001.31380.1018,58348.7738,103
Carroll 22,11967.2010,42831.683481.06200.0611,69135.5232,915
Cheshire 24,70856.7917,97341.317811.79490.116,73515.4843,511
Coös 11,40969.784,66628.542651.62100.066,74341.2416,350
Grafton 29,17454.9623,02343.388381.58430.086,15111.5953,078
Hillsborough 150,15366.2972,61432.063,5241.562000.0977,53934.23226,491
Merrimack 56,26663.1631,57235.441,1451.291060.1224,69427.7289,089
Rockingham 134,29268.1760,23230.582,3371.191350.0774,06037.59196,996
Strafford 44,54261.3526,79136.901,2051.66670.0917,75124.4572,605
Sullivan 15,87265.807,84932.543861.60150.068,02333.2624,122
Totals516,60965.12264,63933.3611,3291.436830.09251,97031.76793,260

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Sununu won both congressional districts, which both elected Democrats. [48]

DistrictSununuFeltesRepresentative
1st 67%32% Chris Pappas
2nd 63%35% Annie Kuster

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  2. "Another candidate" with 1%
  3. Listed as "Nobody" - the answer respondents gave when asked towards which candidate they leaned
  4. "Someone else" with 3%
  5. "Another candidate" with 4%
  6. "Someone else" with 13%
  7. Perry (L) with 1%; Undecided with 2%
  8. Perry (L) with 2%; "Another candidate" with <1%; Undecided with 1%
  9. Perry (L) and "Someone else" with 1%; Undecided with 4%
  10. 1 2 "Another candidate" with 1%; Undecided with 4%
  11. Perry (L) with <1%; Undecided with 1%
  12. Perry (L) with 4%; "Refused" with 2%; "Other" with no voters; Undecided with 8%
  13. Perry (L) with 2%; "Someone else" with 1%; Undecided with 5%
  14. "Someone else" with 3%; Undecided with 2%
  15. Perry (L) with 0%; Undecided with 3%
  16. "Another candidate" with 1%; Undecided with 6%
  17. Perry (L) with 1%; Undecided with 8%
  18. 1 2 "Another candidate" with 1%; Undecided with 12%
  19. "Another candidate" with 2%; Undecided with 13%
  20. Undecided with 21%
  21. "Another candidate" with 0%; Undecided with 18%
  22. "Another candidate" with 4%; Undecided with 14%
  23. Undecided with 10%
  24. Perry (L) with 1%; Undecided with 7%
  25. "Another candidate" with 2%; Undecided with 14%
  26. "Another candidate" with 0%; Undecided with 19%
  27. "Another candidate" with 3%; Undecided with 13%

References

  1. "New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2020 (September 8 Republican primary)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  2. "Sununu: 'We're coming out of winter, we're coming out of COVID'". March 13, 2021.
  3. DiStaso, John [@jdistaso] (May 14, 2019). "BREAKING: .@GovChrisSununu announces he's seeking a third term as #nhgov - #nhpolitics #WMUR" (Tweet). Retrieved May 14, 2019 via Twitter.
  4. "Nobody". Ballotpedia. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  5. "Conservative Activist Testerman To Primary Gov. Sununu". Concord, NH Patch. June 9, 2020.
  6. Steinhauser, Paul (April 4, 2019). "Choices loom for Sununu, Ayotte ahead of 2020 election". Concord Monitor. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  7. 1 2 Pisani, Madelaine (April 8, 2019). "Republicans Await Sununu's 2020 Decision". National Journal. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 University of New Hampshire
  9. Robocent/Free Keene
  10. 1 2 Saint Anselm College
  11. "2020 State Primary Republican State Primary". New Hampshire Department of State. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  12. DiStaso, John; Sexton, Adam (September 3, 2019). "Promising to put working-class families first, Democrat Dan Feltes announces run for governor". WMUR 9. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  13. Landrigan, Kevin (October 23, 2019). "Volinsky makes official his 2020 Democratic bid for governor". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  14. 1 2 3 Steinhauser, Paul (January 23, 2019). "Andru Volinsky considering 2020 run for governor". Concord Monitor. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  15. Lahut, Jake (October 1, 2019). "Molly Kelly to sit out 2020 NH governor's race". The Keene Sentinel . Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  16. DiStaso, John (June 20, 2019). "NH Primary Source: Democrat Mindi Messmer says, 'I'm running' for Executive Council". WMUR. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 "Senator Feltes Endorsed By Over 75 State Representatives". nhlabornews.com.
  18. 1 2 3 4 John DiStaso (October 31, 2019). "NH Primary Source: Energy, environmental leaders, activists endorse Feltes for governor". wmur.com.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 John DiStaso (September 30, 2019). "NH Primary Source: Amherst's Chandley becomes sixth state senator to endorse Feltes for governor". wmur.com.
  20. 1 2 Dan Feltes. "Thank you, Sen. Kahn and Rep. Myler for all you do as Chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees". facebook.com.
  21. John DiStaso (May 7, 2020). "NH Primary Source: Two Laborers union locals endorse Feltes for governor". wmur.com.
  22. "2020 State Primary Democratic State Primary". New Hampshire Department of State. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  23. Lahut, Jake (December 5, 2019). "Keene Libertarian announces run for governor". The Keene Sentinel . Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  24. DiStaso, John (September 3, 2020). "NH Primary Source: It's official: Libertarian Party candidates to be on general election ballot". WMUR . Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  25. "2020 Election Information - NHSOS". sos.nh.gov.
  26. "2020 Governor Race Ratings for October 23, 2020". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  27. "2020 Gubernatorial Ratings". insideelections.com. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  28. "2020 Gubernatorial race ratings". Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball. November 2, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  29. "We rated every gubernatorial race in 2020. Here's who we think will win". Politico. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  30. "2020 Governor Race Ratings". Daily Kos. June 1, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  31. "2020 Governor Races". RealClearPolitics. June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  32. "2020 Gubernatorial Elections Map". 270towin.
  33. 1 2 "Endorsements". February 16, 2020.
  34. American Research Group
  35. Saint Anselm College
  36. YouGov/UMass Amherst
  37. 1 2 University of New Hampshire
  38. Suffolk University
  39. Saint Anselm College
  40. Emerson College
  41. American Research Group
  42. YouGov/UMass Lowell
  43. 1 2 3 4 5 6 University of New Hampshire
  44. We Ask America
  45. 1 2 University of New Hampshire
  46. Emerson College
  47. "2020 General Election". New Hampshire Department of State. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  48. https://davesredistricting.org/maps#viewmap::dc25e6e9-1e87-439f-8f67-9f20aa842487

Official campaign websites