2026 New Hampshire gubernatorial election


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. Incumbent Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte is eligible to run for a second term but has not stated if she will do so. 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. Conversly, Republicans hold a trifecta on the statewide level, with a supermajority in the New Hampshire Senate.
In 2024, Kelly Ayotte won the gubernatorial election by 9.34%. In January 2025, Cook Political Report predicted that Republicans would hold onto the governorship.

Republican primary

Candidates

Publicly expressed interest

Potential

Declined

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Publicly expressed interest

Potential

Declined

Independents

Withdrawn

  • Jon Kiper, former Newmarket town councilor and Democratic candidate for governor in 2024 ''''

General election

Polling

Kelly Ayotte vs. Jon Kiper

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Kelly
Ayotte 		Jon
Kiper 		OtherUndecided
University of New HampshireJanuary 15–19, 20262,053 ± 2.1%50%39%2%9%

Kelly Ayotte vs. Deaglan McEachern

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Kelly
Ayotte 		Deaglan
McEachern 		OtherUndecided
University of New HampshireJanuary 15–19, 20262,053 ± 2.1%49%41%0%10%

Kelly Ayotte vs. Generic Democrat

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Kelly
Ayotte 		Generic
Democrat		Undecided
co/efficient October 9–13, 20251,034 ± 3.1%43%40%17%