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 was born on November 25, 1952. He is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician. He served as the 80th governor of New Hampshire from 2005 to 2013.
Lynch was first elected governor in 2004. He defeated the current governor, Craig Benson. This was the first time in 80 years that a sitting New Hampshire governor lost their re-election bid. Lynch won re-election easily in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
He is known as one of the most popular governors in New Hampshire's history. While in office, he was often ranked among the most liked governors in the country.
Since 2013, Lynch has taught business at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Contents
Early Life and Career
John Lynch was born in Waltham, Massachusetts. He was the fifth of six children.
He went to college at the University of New Hampshire. He also earned degrees from Harvard Business School and Georgetown University Law Center.
Before becoming governor, Lynch had a successful business career. He was the Director of Admissions at Harvard Business School. He also led his own business consulting company.
Lynch was the CEO of Knoll Inc., a furniture company. He helped turn the company around. It went from losing $50 million a year to making nearly $240 million in profits. Under his leadership, Knoll created new jobs. The company also gave bonuses to factory workers. They started a scholarship program for employees' children. They even gave workers stock in the company.
Before running for governor, Lynch was the chairman of the University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees.
Governor of New Hampshire
John Lynch started his campaign for governor in June 2004. He strongly criticized the current governor, Craig Benson. Lynch said Benson lacked honesty and created problems in the government.
Lynch won the Democratic primary election in September. Then, in November, he defeated Benson. Lynch won with 51% of the vote, while Benson got 49%.
Lynch became the 80th Governor of New Hampshire on January 6, 2005. He was re-elected in 2006 with a huge victory. He won 74% of the vote, which was the largest win ever in a New Hampshire governor's race.
In 2008, he was elected for a third term. He won with 70% of the vote. In 2010, Lynch was elected for a fourth term. This was a historic win. He became the longest-serving governor in New Hampshire in nearly 200 years.
On September 15, 2011, Lynch announced he would not run for a fifth term. He said that democracy needs new leaders and fresh ideas.
On January 3, 2013, Maggie Hassan became the new governor. She was also a Democrat. This was the first time a Democrat replaced another Democrat as governor in New Hampshire since the 1800s.
Key Decisions as Governor
Taxes
As a candidate, Lynch promised not to create new broad taxes. This included sales or income taxes. As governor, he kept this promise.
In 2007, he signed a law for a Research and Development Tax credit. This helped companies save money on certain business expenses. It was meant to help create jobs.
Death Penalty
Lynch supported the death penalty while in office. He believed it was right for very serious crimes. In 2009, the New Hampshire House of Representatives tried to end the death penalty. Lynch said he would stop it. So, the Senate did not pass the law.
Later, Lynch worked with lawmakers. They formed a group to study the death penalty. In 2010, this group suggested keeping the death penalty. In 2011, Lynch signed a law to expand the death penalty to include home invasions.
Same-Sex Marriage
On June 3, 2009, Lynch signed a bill into law that allowed same-sex marriage. This made New Hampshire the fifth state in the U.S. to allow these marriages. Even though he personally did not support gay marriages, he signed the bill into law.
Popularity as Governor
John Lynch was very popular during his eight years as governor. He often had some of the highest approval ratings among U.S. governors. His approval rating was often above 70%. This made him one of the most popular governors in the country.
He had support from both Democrats and Republicans. He is known as the most popular governor in New Hampshire's history.
Presidential Endorsements
During the 2008 presidential election, Lynch stayed neutral at first. He wanted to focus on being a good host for the primary election in New Hampshire. Later, in June 2008, he officially supported Barack Obama for president.
Lynch also supported Barack Obama in the 2012 election. He supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. And he supported Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Personal Life
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John Lynch is married to Susan Lynch. She is a pediatrician, which is a doctor who treats children. They have three children together.
