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. Incumbent Republican governor Kelly Ayotte is eligible to run again 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.

Republican primary

Candidates

Potential

Kelly Ayotte, incumbent governor (2025–present)

Democratic primary

Publicly expressed interest

Tom Sherman, former state senator from the 24th district (2018–2022) and nominee for governor in 2022^[1]

Independents

Declared

Jon Kiper, former Newmarket town councilor, businessman, and Democratic candidate for governor in 2024^[2]

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report^[3]	Likely R	January 23, 2025
Inside Elections^[4]	Solid R	February 6, 2025
Sabato's Crystal Ball^[5]	Likely R	May 1, 2025
Race to the WH^[6]	Tilt R	June 30, 2025

References

^ Sexton, Adam (May 2, 2025). "Tom Sherman considering campaign for governor or 1st District in 2026". WMUR-TV. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
^ Sexton, Adam (June 13, 2025). "Kiper announces he's running for New Hampshire governor as independent". WMUR 9. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
^ "2026 CPR Governor Race ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
^ "Gubernatorial Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved February 7, 2025.
^ "2026 Governor". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
^ "Governor Forecast - 2026-2026". Race to the WH. Retrieved June 30, 2025.

External links

Official campaign websites

Jon Kiper (I) for Governor

[1] Sexton, Adam (May 2, 2025). "Tom Sherman considering campaign for governor or 1st District in 2026". WMUR-TV. Retrieved May 2, 2025.

[Kiper-2] Sexton, Adam (June 13, 2025). "Kiper announces he's running for New Hampshire governor as independent". WMUR 9. Retrieved June 13, 2025.

[3] "2026 CPR Governor Race ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved January 23, 2025.

[4] "Gubernatorial Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved February 7, 2025.

[5] "2026 Governor". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved May 13, 2025.

[6] "Governor Forecast - 2026-2026". Race to the WH. Retrieved June 30, 2025.

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