John Lynch (New Hampshire governor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Lynch
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| 80th Governor of New Hampshire | |
| In office January 6, 2005 – January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Craig Benson |
| Succeeded by | Maggie Hassan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 25, 1952 Waltham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Susan Lynch |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Hopkinton, New Hampshire |
| Alma mater | University of New Hampshire (BA) Harvard University (MBA) Georgetown University (JD) |
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John Hayden Lynch (born November 25, 1952) is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician. He served as the 80th governor of New Hampshire from 2005 to 2013. John Lynch was first elected governor in 2004. He defeated the Republican governor, Craig Benson. This was the first time in 80 years that a first-term New Hampshire governor lost re-election. Lynch won re-election easily in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
John Lynch is known as one of the most popular governors in New Hampshire's history. While he was in office, he was often ranked among the most liked governors in the United States. Since 2013, Lynch has been a Senior Lecturer at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He teaches in their MBA program.
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Early Life and Education
John Lynch was born in Waltham, Massachusetts. He was the fifth of six children born to William and Margaret Lynch. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Arts, from the University of New Hampshire in 1974. Later, he received a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He also earned a law degree, a Juris Doctor, from Georgetown University Law Center.
John Lynch's Career Before Politics
Before becoming governor, John Lynch had a successful career in business. He was the Director of Admissions at Harvard Business School. He also led his own business consulting firm, The Lynch Group, in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Lynch also served as the CEO of Knoll Inc.. This is a national furniture manufacturing company. When he took over, the company was losing a lot of money. Under his leadership, Knoll Inc. started making large profits. He helped create new jobs and gave factory workers yearly bonuses. He also started a scholarship program for employees' children. Lynch also set up retirement plans and gave workers company stock. Before running for governor, he was the chairman of the University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees.
Becoming Governor of New Hampshire
In June 2004, John Lynch started his campaign to become Governor of New Hampshire. For five months, he strongly criticized the current governor, Craig Benson. Lynch said Benson lacked integrity due to various issues during his time in office. Lynch claimed Benson created a "culture of favoritism" in the State House.
On September 15, Lynch won the Democratic primary election. Then, on November 2, he defeated Governor Benson with 51% of the vote to Benson's 49%. Lynch was the first person to defeat a sitting first-term governor in New Hampshire since 1924. He became the 80th Governor of New Hampshire on January 6, 2005.
Re-election Victories
On November 7, 2006, Lynch was re-elected governor by a large margin. He won with 74% of the vote against Republican Jim Coburn. This was the biggest win ever in a New Hampshire gubernatorial race. His success also helped his party gain control of the State Legislature and both of New Hampshire's U.S. House seats.
On November 4, 2008, he was elected for a third term. Lynch defeated Republican Joseph Kenney with 70% of the vote. Democrats kept control of the state legislature and both U.S. House seats. They also gained a U.S. Senate seat.
On November 2, 2010, Lynch was elected to a fourth term. He won against John Stephen with 53% of the vote. Lynch was the only Democrat elected to a statewide office that year. Democrats lost many seats in the State Legislature and other offices across the U.S. during the 2010 elections.
When Lynch started his fourth term on January 6, 2011, he became the longest-serving governor in New Hampshire in almost 200 years. New Hampshire and Vermont are the only two U.S. states with two-year terms for governors. On September 15, 2011, Lynch announced he would not seek a fifth term. He said that democracy needs new leaders and ideas to stay fresh. On January 3, 2013, Maggie Hassan, also a Democrat, became the new governor. This was the first time a Democrat followed another Democrat as governor in New Hampshire since the 1800s.
What John Lynch Did as Governor
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Taxes and the Economy
As a candidate, John Lynch promised not to create any new broad-based taxes, like a sales or income tax. As governor, he kept this promise. In 2007, Lynch signed a law for a Research and Development Tax credit. This credit helped companies save money on certain research costs. In 2012, he suggested doubling this tax credit because it helped create jobs. In June 2010, Lynch also signed a measure that removed the state's LLC tax.
Public Safety and Crime
Governor Lynch worked with the state's Attorney General, police chiefs, and lawmakers. They passed laws to protect against certain crimes. They also increased the number of state police officers and prosecutors. New Hampshire was named the "Safest State" in the Nation in 2008 and 2009. It had the lowest murder rate and very low rates for other serious crimes. Lynch said he was proud that they worked together to keep New Hampshire safe. He thanked law enforcement for their hard work.
Important Decisions
On June 3, 2009, Lynch signed a bill into law that allowed same-sex marriage in New Hampshire. This made New Hampshire the fifth state in the U.S. to allow such unions. Even though he personally did not support same-sex marriage, he signed the bill into law.
In April 2006, Lynch received an award from the American Red Cross. He was recognized for his leadership during the 2005 floods in the Northeast U.S.
His Popularity and Endorsements
Throughout his eight years as governor, John Lynch was very popular. He often had some of the highest approval ratings among U.S. governors. Just three months after becoming governor in 2005, his approval rating went above 50%. It stayed above 55% for his entire time in office. Between 2006 and 2009, his approval rating was even above 70%. In April 2012, his approval rating was over 70% again. This made him the second most popular governor in the United States at that time. Lynch was liked by people from different political parties. He is considered the most popular governor in New Hampshire's history.
Presidential Endorsements
During the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries, Lynch remained neutral at first. As governor, he wanted to be a good host for the primary election. On June 27, 2008, he officially supported Barack Obama for president. Lynch also supported President Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election. Later, he endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. In the 2020 presidential election, he supported former Vice President Joe Biden.
Personal Life
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John Lynch is married to Susan Lynch. She is a pediatrician, which is a doctor who cares for children. They have three children together.
