List of governors of New Hampshire

The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and is commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.

The incumbent governor is Republican Kelly Ayotte, who took office on January 9, 2025. The longest-serving governor is John Taylor Gilman, who served as governor for 14 years, from 1794 to 1805 and from 1813 to 1816.

Governors

For the period before independence, see List of colonial governors of New Hampshire.

New Hampshire was one of the original Thirteen Colonies and was admitted as a state on June 21, 1788.^[1] Before it declared its independence, New Hampshire was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain.

The original 1776 Constitution of New Hampshire did not provide for a chief executive. The office of President was created by the 1784 constitution, and renamed Governor in 1792.^[2] Governors served one-year terms until an 1877 amendment increased this to two years.^[3] There have never been any term limits for the office, nor is there a lieutenant governor; should the office become vacant, the president of the New Hampshire Senate acts as governor.^[4]

Governors of the State of New Hampshire

No.	Governor[a]			Term in office	Party	Election
1			Meshech Weare (1713–1786) [5]	June 15, 1784[6] – June 8, 1785 (did not run)	No parties[7]	1784
2			John Langdon (1741–1819) [8][9]	June 8, 1785[10] – June 9, 1786 (lost election)	No parties[7]	1785
3			John Sullivan (1740–1795) [11][12]	June 9, 1786[13] – June 6, 1788 (lost election)	No parties[7]	1786
						1787
2			John Langdon (1741–1819) [8][9]	June 6, 1788[14] – January 22, 1789 (resigned)[b]	No parties[7]	1788
—			John Pickering (1737–1805)	January 22, 1789[15] – June 9, 1789 (lost election)	No parties[7]	President of the Senate acting
3			John Sullivan (1740–1795) [11][12]	June 9, 1789[16] – June 8, 1790 (did not run)[c]	No parties[7]	1789
4			Josiah Bartlett (1729–1795) [19][20]	June 8, 1790[21] – June 5, 1794 (did not run)	No parties[7]	1790
						1791
						1792
						1793
5			John Taylor Gilman (1753–1828) [22][23]	June 5, 1794[24] – June 6, 1805 (lost election)	Federalist[7]	1794
						1795
						1796
						1797
						1798
						1799
						1800
						1801
						1802
						1803
						1804
2			John Langdon (1741–1819) [8][9]	June 6, 1805[25] – June 13, 1809 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican[7]	1805
						1806
						1807
						1808
6			Jeremiah Smith (1759–1842) [26][27]	June 13, 1809[28] – June 7, 1810 (lost election)	Federalist[7]	1809
2			John Langdon (1741–1819) [8][9]	June 7, 1810[29] – June 6, 1812 (did not run)	Democratic- Republican[7]	1810
						1811
7			William Plumer (1759–1850) [30][31]	June 6, 1812[32] – June 5, 1813 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican[7]	1812
5			John Taylor Gilman (1753–1828) [22][23]	June 5, 1813[33] – June 6, 1816 (did not run)	Federalist[7]	1813
						1814
						1815
7			William Plumer (1759–1850) [30][31]	June 6, 1816[34] – June 7, 1819 (did not run)	Democratic- Republican[7]	1816
						1817
						1818
8			Samuel Bell (1770–1850) [35][36]	June 7, 1819[37] – June 5, 1823 (did not run)[d]	Democratic- Republican[7]	1819
						1820
						1821
						1822
9			Levi Woodbury (1789–1851) [38][39]	June 5, 1823[40] – June 4, 1824 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican[e]	1823
10			David L. Morril (1772–1849) [41][42]	June 4, 1824[43] – June 8, 1827 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican[f]	1824
						1825
						1826
11			Benjamin Pierce (1757–1839) [46][47]	June 8, 1827[48] – June 9, 1828 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican[g]	1827
12			John Bell (1765–1836) [50][51]	June 9, 1828[52] – June 6, 1829 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican[45]	1828
11			Benjamin Pierce (1757–1839) [46][47]	June 6, 1829[53] – June 4, 1830 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1829
13			Matthew Harvey (1781–1866) [54][55]	June 4, 1830[56] – February 28, 1831 (resigned)[h]	Democratic[45]	1830
—			Joseph M. Harper (1787–1865) [57][58]	February 28, 1831[59] – June 3, 1831 (successor took office)	Democratic[45]	President of the Senate acting
14			Samuel Dinsmoor (1766–1835) [60][61]	June 3, 1831[62] – June 6, 1834 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1831
						1832
						1833
15			William Badger (1779–1852) [63][64]	June 6, 1834[65] – June 2, 1836 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1834
						1835
16			Isaac Hill (1788–1851) [66][67]	June 2, 1836[68] – June 6, 1839 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1836
						1837
						1838
17			John Page (1787–1865) [69][70]	June 6, 1839[71] – June 2, 1842 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1839
						1840
						1841
18			Henry Hubbard (1784–1857) [72][73]	June 2, 1842[74] – June 6, 1844 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1842
						1843
19			John Hardy Steele (1789–1865) [75][76]	June 6, 1844[77] – June 5, 1846 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1844
						1845
20			Anthony Colby (1792–1873) [78][79]	June 5, 1846[80] – June 3, 1847 (lost election)	Whig[45]	1846
21			Jared W. Williams (1796–1864) [81][82]	June 3, 1847[83] – June 7, 1849 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1847
						1848
22			Samuel Dinsmoor Jr. (1799–1869) [84][85]	June 7, 1849[86] – June 3, 1852 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1849
						1850
						1851
23			Noah Martin (1801–1863) [87][88]	June 3, 1852[89] – June 8, 1854 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1852
						1853
24			Nathaniel B. Baker (1818–1876) [90][91]	June 8, 1854[92] – June 7, 1855 (lost election)	Democratic[45]	1854
25			Ralph Metcalf (1796–1858) [93][94]	June 7, 1855[95] – June 4, 1857 (did not run)	Know Nothing[45]	1855
						1856
26			William Haile (1807–1876) [96][97]	June 4, 1857[98] – June 2, 1859 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1857
						1858
27			Ichabod Goodwin (1794–1882) [99][100]	June 2, 1859[101] – June 6, 1861 (lost nomination)[99]	Republican[45]	1859
						1860
28			Nathaniel S. Berry (1796–1894) [102][103]	June 6, 1861[104] – June 4, 1863 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1861
						1862
29			Joseph A. Gilmore (1811–1867) [105][106]	June 4, 1863[107] – June 8, 1865 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1863
						1864
30			Frederick Smyth (1819–1899) [108][109]	June 8, 1865[110] – June 6, 1867 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1865
						1866
31			Walter Harriman (1817–1884) [111][112]	June 6, 1867[113] – June 3, 1869 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1867
						1868
32			Onslow Stearns (1810–1878) [114][115]	June 3, 1869[116] – June 14, 1871 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1869
						1870
33			James A. Weston (1827–1895) [117][118]	June 14, 1871[119] – June 6, 1872 (lost election)	Democratic[45]	1871
34			Ezekiel A. Straw (1819–1882) [120][121]	June 6, 1872[122] – June 4, 1874 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1872
						1873
33			James A. Weston (1827–1895) [117][118]	June 4, 1874[123] – June 10, 1875 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1874
35			Person Colby Cheney (1828–1901) [124][125]	June 10, 1875[126] – June 7, 1877 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1875
						1876
36			Benjamin F. Prescott (1833–1895) [127][128]	June 7, 1877[129] – June 5, 1879 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1877
						Mar. 1878
37			Nathaniel Head (1828–1883) [130][131]	June 5, 1879[132] – June 2, 1881 (did not run)	Republican[45]	Nov. 1878
38			Charles H. Bell (1823–1893) [133][134]	June 2, 1881[135] – June 7, 1883 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1880
39			Samuel W. Hale (1823–1891) [136][137]	June 7, 1883[138] – June 4, 1885 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1882
40			Moody Currier (1806–1898) [139][140]	June 4, 1885[141] – June 2, 1887 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1884
41			Charles H. Sawyer (1840–1908) [142][143]	June 2, 1887[144] – June 6, 1889 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1886
42			David H. Goodell[i] (1834–1915) [145][146]	June 6, 1889[147] – January 8, 1891 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1888
43			Hiram A. Tuttle (1837–1911) [148][149]	January 8, 1891[150] – January 5, 1893 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1890
44			John Butler Smith (1838–1914) [151][152]	January 5, 1893[153] – January 3, 1895 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1892
45			Charles A. Busiel (1842–1901) [154][155]	January 3, 1895[156] – January 7, 1897 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1894
46			George A. Ramsdell (1834–1900) [157][158]	January 7, 1897[159] – January 5, 1899 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1896
47			Frank W. Rollins (1860–1915) [160][161]	January 5, 1899[162] – January 3, 1901 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1898
48			Chester B. Jordan (1839–1914) [163][164]	January 3, 1901[165] – January 8, 1903 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1900
49			Nahum J. Bachelder (1854–1934) [166][167]	January 8, 1903[168] – January 5, 1905 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1902
50			John McLane (1852–1911) [169][170]	January 5, 1905[171] – January 3, 1907 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1904
51			Charles M. Floyd (1861–1923) [172][173]	January 3, 1907[174] – January 7, 1909 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1906
52			Henry B. Quinby (1846–1924) [175][176]	January 7, 1909[177] – January 5, 1911 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1908
53			Robert P. Bass (1873–1960) [178][179]	January 5, 1911[180] – January 2, 1913 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1910
54			Samuel D. Felker (1859–1932) [181][182]	January 2, 1913[183] – January 7, 1915 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1912
55			Rolland H. Spaulding (1873–1942) [184][185]	January 7, 1915[186] – January 4, 1917 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1914
56			Henry W. Keyes (1863–1938) [187][188]	January 4, 1917[189] – January 2, 1919 (did not run)[j]	Republican[45]	1916
57			John H. Bartlett (1869–1952) [190][191]	January 2, 1919[192] – January 6, 1921 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1918
58			Albert O. Brown (1852–1937) [193][194]	January 6, 1921[195] – January 4, 1923 (did not run)[193]	Republican[45]	1920
59			Fred H. Brown (1879–1955) [196][197]	January 4, 1923[198] – January 8, 1925 (lost election)	Democratic[45]	1922
60			John Gilbert Winant (1889–1947) [199][200]	January 8, 1925[201] – January 6, 1927 (lost nomination)[202]	Republican[45]	1924
61			Huntley N. Spaulding (1869–1955) [202][203]	January 6, 1927[204] – January 3, 1929 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1926
62			Charles W. Tobey (1880–1953) [205][206]	January 3, 1929[207] – January 8, 1931 (did not run)[205]	Republican[45]	1928
60			John Gilbert Winant (1889–1947) [199][200]	January 8, 1931[208] – January 3, 1935 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1930
						1932
63			Styles Bridges (1898–1961) [209][210]	January 3, 1935[211] – January 7, 1937 (did not run)[k]	Republican[45]	1934
64			Francis P. Murphy (1877–1958) [212][213]	January 7, 1937[214] – January 2, 1941 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1936
						1938
65			Robert O. Blood (1887–1975) [215][216]	January 2, 1941[217] – January 4, 1945 (lost nomination)[215]	Republican[45]	1940
						1942
66			Charles M. Dale (1893–1978) [218][219]	January 4, 1945[220] – January 6, 1949 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1944
						1946
67			Sherman Adams (1899–1986) [221][222]	January 6, 1949[223] – January 8, 1953 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1948
						1950
68			Hugh Gregg (1917–2003) [224][225]	January 8, 1953[226] – January 6, 1955 (did not run)[224]	Republican[45]	1952
69			Lane Dwinell (1906–1997) [227][228]	January 6, 1955[229] – January 8, 1959 (did not run)	Republican[45]	1954
						1956
70			Wesley Powell (1915–1981) [230][231]	January 8, 1959[232] – January 5, 1963 (lost nomination)[l]	Republican[45]	1958
						1960
71			John W. King (1916–1996) [233][234]	January 5, 1963[235] – January 2, 1969 (did not run)	Democratic[45]	1962
						1964
						1966
72			Walter R. Peterson Jr. (1922–2011) [236][237]	January 2, 1969[238] – January 4, 1973 (lost nomination)[239]	Republican[45]	1968
						1970
73			Meldrim Thomson (1912–2001) [239][240]	January 4, 1973[241] – January 4, 1979 (lost election)	Republican[45]	1972
						1974
						1976
74			Hugh Gallen (1924–1982) [242]	January 4, 1979[243] – December 29, 1982 (died in office)[m]	Democratic[242]	1978
						1980
—			Vesta M. Roy (1925–2002) [244]	December 29, 1982[245] – January 6, 1983 (successor took office)	Republican[244]	President of the Senate acting
75			John H. Sununu (b. 1939) [246]	January 6, 1983[247] – January 5, 1989 (did not run)	Republican[246]	1982
						1984
						1986
76			Judd Gregg (b. 1947) [248]	January 5, 1989[249] – January 2, 1993 (resigned)[n]	Republican[248]	1988
						1990
—			Ralph D. Hough (b. 1943)	January 2, 1993[250] – January 7, 1993 (successor took office)	Republican[250]	President of the Senate acting
77			Steve Merrill (1946–2020) [251]	January 7, 1993[252] – January 9, 1997 (did not run)	Republican[251]	1992
						1994
78			Jeanne Shaheen (b. 1947) [253]	January 9, 1997[254] – January 9, 2003 (did not run)	Democratic[253]	1996
						1998
						2000
79			Craig Benson (b. 1954) [255]	January 9, 2003[256] – January 6, 2005 (lost election)	Republican[255]	2002
80			John Lynch (b. 1952) [257]	January 6, 2005[258] – January 3, 2013 (did not run)	Democratic[257]	2004
						2006
						2008
						2010
81			Maggie Hassan (b. 1958) [259]	January 3, 2013[260] – January 2, 2017 (resigned)[o]	Democratic[259]	2012
						2014
—			Chuck Morse (b. 1960) [262]	January 3, 2017[261] – January 5, 2017 (successor took office)	Republican[262]	President of the Senate acting
82			Chris Sununu (b. 1974) [263]	January 5, 2017[264] – January 9, 2025 (did not run)	Republican[263]	2016
						2018
						2020
						2022
83			Kelly Ayotte (b. 1968) [265]	January 9, 2025[266] – Incumbent[p]	Republican[265]	2024

See also

• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#New Hampshire
• List of New Hampshire General Courts

Notes

1. The office was named president until 1792.
2. Langdon resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[8][15]
3. Sullivan had been appointed to the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire on September 26, 1789.^[17] Some sources say he resigned as governor near the end of his term due to objections to him being both in the executive and judiciary;^[11] but the State Papers indicate he remained in office until the expiration of his term.^[18]
4. Bell was instead elected to the United States Senate.^[35]
5. Woodbury was a Democratic-Republican, but was not nominated by the party, so he ran independently.^[38]
6. Sobel labels Morrill a Democratic-Republican,^[41] while other main sources label him an Adams Republican.^[44][7][45]
7. Dubin,^[49] Kallenbach,^[45] and Sobel^[46] label Pierce a Jackson Democrat, while Glashan labels him a Democratic-Republican.^[7]
8. Harvey resigned, having been confirmed to the United States District Court for New Hampshire.^[54]
9. Goodell was seriously ill in 1890, and President of the Senate David A. Taggart acted as governor from April 22 to July 1.^[145]
10. Keyes was instead elected to the United States Senate.^[187]
11. Bridges was instead elected to the United States Senate.^[209]
12. Powell lost the Republican nomination to John P. Pillsbury.^[230]
13. Gallen had lost the 1982 election before he died.
14. Gregg resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[250]
15. Hassan resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate.^[261]
16. Ayotte's term will expire in January 2027.