List of governors of New Hampshire facts for kids

The governor of New Hampshire is the main leader of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Think of them as the state's chief executive, like a principal for the whole state! They are also in charge of New Hampshire's military forces, like the New Hampshire National Guard.

The current governor is Kelly Ayotte, who started her job on January 9, 2025. The person who served as governor for the longest time was John Taylor Gilman. He was governor for 14 years, from 1794 to 1805 and again from 1813 to 1816.

Understanding the Governor's Role

New Hampshire was one of the first 13 colonies that formed the United States. It officially became a state on June 21, 1788. Before becoming independent, New Hampshire was a colony ruled by the Kingdom of Great Britain.

When New Hampshire first wrote its constitution in 1776, it didn't have a single main leader like a governor. The job of "President" was created in 1784, and then it was renamed "Governor" in 1792. For a long time, governors only served for one year. But in 1877, this changed to two-year terms. There are no limits on how many terms a person can serve as governor in New Hampshire. Also, there isn't a "lieutenant governor" (a second-in-command). If the governor's office becomes empty, the person who leads the New Hampshire Senate steps in as acting governor.

Governors of New Hampshire: A Quick Look

Over the years, many different people have served as governor of New Hampshire. They have come from various political parties, like the Federalist Party, Democratic-Republican Party, Democratic Party, Know Nothing Party, and Republican Party.

The table below shows some of the key leaders who have served New Hampshire. It includes their names, when they served, and their political party.

Governors of the State of New Hampshire

No.	Governor			Term in office	Party	Election
1			Meshech Weare (1713–1786)	June 15, 1784 – June 8, 1785 (did not run)	No parties	1784
2			John Langdon (1741–1819)	June 8, 1785 – June 9, 1786 (lost election)	No parties	1785
3			John Sullivan (1740–1795)	June 9, 1786 – June 6, 1788 (lost election)	No parties	1786
						1787
2			John Langdon (1741–1819)	June 6, 1788 – January 22, 1789 (resigned)	No parties	1788
—			John Pickering (1737–1805)	January 22, 1789 – June 9, 1789 (lost election)	No parties	President of the Senate acting
3			John Sullivan (1740–1795)	June 9, 1789 – June 8, 1790 (did not run)	No parties	1789
4			Josiah Bartlett (1729–1795)	June 8, 1790 – June 5, 1794 (did not run)	No parties	1790
						1791
						1792
						1793
5			John Taylor Gilman (1753–1828)	June 5, 1794 – June 6, 1805 (lost election)	Federalist	1794
						1795
						1796
						1797
						1798
						1799
						1800
						1801
						1802
						1803
						1804
2			John Langdon (1741–1819)	June 6, 1805 – June 13, 1809 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican	1805
						1806
						1807
						1808
6			Jeremiah Smith (1759–1842)	June 13, 1809 – June 7, 1810 (lost election)	Federalist	1809
2			John Langdon (1741–1819)	June 7, 1810 – June 6, 1812 (did not run)	Democratic- Republican	1810
						1811
7			William Plumer (1759–1850)	June 6, 1812 – June 5, 1813 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican	1812
5			John Taylor Gilman (1753–1828)	June 5, 1813 – June 6, 1816 (did not run)	Federalist	1813
						1814
						1815
7			William Plumer (1759–1850)	June 6, 1816 – June 7, 1819 (did not run)	Democratic- Republican	1816
						1817
						1818
8			Samuel Bell (1770–1850)	June 7, 1819 – June 5, 1823 (did not run)	Democratic- Republican	1819
						1820
						1821
						1822
9			Levi Woodbury (1789–1851)	June 5, 1823 – June 4, 1824 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican	1823
10			David L. Morril (1772–1849)	June 4, 1824 – June 8, 1827 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican	1824
						1825
						1826
11			Benjamin Pierce (1757–1839)	June 8, 1827 – June 9, 1828 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican	1827
12			John Bell (1765–1836)	June 9, 1828 – June 6, 1829 (lost election)	Democratic- Republican	1828
11			Benjamin Pierce (1757–1839)	June 6, 1829 – June 4, 1830 (did not run)	Democratic	1829
13			Matthew Harvey (1781–1866)	June 4, 1830 – February 28, 1831 (resigned)	Democratic	1830
—			Joseph M. Harper (1787–1865)	February 28, 1831 – June 3, 1831 (successor took office)	Democratic	President of the Senate acting
14			Samuel Dinsmoor (1766–1835)	June 3, 1831 – June 6, 1834 (did not run)	Democratic	1831
						1832
						1833
15			William Badger (1779–1852)	June 6, 1834 – June 2, 1836 (did not run)	Democratic	1834
						1835
16			Isaac Hill (1788–1851)	June 2, 1836 – June 6, 1839 (did not run)	Democratic	1836
						1837
						1838
17			John Page (1787–1865)	June 6, 1839 – June 2, 1842 (did not run)	Democratic	1839
						1840
						1841
18			Henry Hubbard (1784–1857)	June 2, 1842 – June 6, 1844 (did not run)	Democratic	1842
						1843
19			John Hardy Steele (1789–1865)	June 6, 1844 – June 5, 1846 (did not run)	Democratic	1844
						1845
20			Anthony Colby (1792–1873)	June 5, 1846 – June 3, 1847 (lost election)	Whig	1846
21			Jared W. Williams (1796–1864)	June 3, 1847 – June 7, 1849 (did not run)	Democratic	1847
						1848
22			Samuel Dinsmoor Jr. (1799–1869)	June 7, 1849 – June 3, 1852 (did not run)	Democratic	1849
						1850
						1851
23			Noah Martin (1801–1863)	June 3, 1852 – June 8, 1854 (did not run)	Democratic	1852
						1853
24			Nathaniel B. Baker (1818–1876)	June 8, 1854 – June 7, 1855 (lost election)	Democratic	1854
25			Ralph Metcalf (1796–1858)	June 7, 1855 – June 4, 1857 (did not run)	Know Nothing	1855
						1856
26			William Haile (1807–1876)	June 4, 1857 – June 2, 1859 (did not run)	Republican	1857
						1858
27			Ichabod Goodwin (1794–1882)	June 2, 1859 – June 6, 1861 (lost nomination)	Republican	1859
						1860
28			Nathaniel S. Berry (1796–1894)	June 6, 1861 – June 4, 1863 (did not run)	Republican	1861
						1862
29			Joseph A. Gilmore (1811–1867)	June 4, 1863 – June 8, 1865 (did not run)	Republican	1863
						1864
30			Frederick Smyth (1819–1899)	June 8, 1865 – June 6, 1867 (did not run)	Republican	1865
						1866
31			Walter Harriman (1817–1884)	June 6, 1867 – June 3, 1869 (did not run)	Republican	1867
						1868
32			Onslow Stearns (1810–1878)	June 3, 1869 – June 14, 1871 (did not run)	Republican	1869
						1870
33			James A. Weston (1827–1895)	June 14, 1871 – June 6, 1872 (lost election)	Democratic	1871
34			Ezekiel A. Straw (1819–1882)	June 6, 1872 – June 4, 1874 (did not run)	Republican	1872
						1873
33			James A. Weston (1827–1895)	June 4, 1874 – June 10, 1875 (did not run)	Democratic	1874
35			Person Colby Cheney (1828–1901)	June 10, 1875 – June 7, 1877 (did not run)	Republican	1875
						1876
36			Benjamin F. Prescott (1833–1895)	June 7, 1877 – June 5, 1879 (did not run)	Republican	1877
						Mar. 1878
37			Nathaniel Head (1828–1883)	June 5, 1879 – June 2, 1881 (did not run)	Republican	Nov. 1878
38			Charles H. Bell (1823–1893)	June 2, 1881 – June 7, 1883 (did not run)	Republican	1880
39			Samuel W. Hale (1823–1891)	June 7, 1883 – June 4, 1885 (did not run)	Republican	1882
40			Moody Currier (1806–1898)	June 4, 1885 – June 2, 1887 (did not run)	Republican	1884
41			Charles H. Sawyer (1840–1908)	June 2, 1887 – June 6, 1889 (did not run)	Republican	1886
42			David H. Goodell (1834–1915)	June 6, 1889 – January 8, 1891 (did not run)	Republican	1888
43			Hiram A. Tuttle (1837–1911)	January 8, 1891 – January 5, 1893 (did not run)	Republican	1890
44			John Butler Smith (1838–1914)	January 5, 1893 – January 3, 1895 (did not run)	Republican	1892
45			Charles A. Busiel (1842–1901)	January 3, 1895 – January 7, 1897 (did not run)	Republican	1894
46			George A. Ramsdell (1834–1900)	January 7, 1897 – January 5, 1899 (did not run)	Republican	1896
47			Frank W. Rollins (1860–1915)	January 5, 1899 – January 3, 1901 (did not run)	Republican	1898
48			Chester B. Jordan (1839–1914)	January 3, 1901 – January 8, 1903 (did not run)	Republican	1900
49			Nahum J. Bachelder (1854–1934)	January 8, 1903 – January 5, 1905 (did not run)	Republican	1902
50			John McLane (1852–1911)	January 5, 1905 – January 3, 1907 (did not run)	Republican	1904
51			Charles M. Floyd (1861–1923)	January 3, 1907 – January 7, 1909 (did not run)	Republican	1906
52			Henry B. Quinby (1846–1924)	January 7, 1909 – January 5, 1911 (did not run)	Republican	1908
53			Robert P. Bass (1873–1960)	January 5, 1911 – January 2, 1913 (did not run)	Republican	1910
54			Samuel D. Felker (1859–1932)	January 2, 1913 – January 7, 1915 (did not run)	Democratic	1912
55			Rolland H. Spaulding (1873–1942)	January 7, 1915 – January 4, 1917 (did not run)	Republican	1914
56			Henry W. Keyes (1863–1938)	January 4, 1917 – January 2, 1919 (did not run)	Republican	1916
57			John H. Bartlett (1869–1952)	January 2, 1919 – January 6, 1921 (did not run)	Republican	1918
58			Albert O. Brown (1852–1937)	January 6, 1921 – January 4, 1923 (did not run)	Republican	1920
59			Fred H. Brown (1879–1955)	January 4, 1923 – January 8, 1925 (lost election)	Democratic	1922
60			John Gilbert Winant (1889–1947)	January 8, 1925 – January 6, 1927 (lost nomination)	Republican	1924
61			Huntley N. Spaulding (1869–1955)	January 6, 1927 – January 3, 1929 (did not run)	Republican	1926
62			Charles W. Tobey (1880–1953)	January 3, 1929 – January 8, 1931 (did not run)	Republican	1928
60			John Gilbert Winant (1889–1947)	January 8, 1931 – January 3, 1935 (did not run)	Republican	1930
						1932
63			Styles Bridges (1898–1961)	January 3, 1935 – January 7, 1937 (did not run)	Republican	1934
64			Francis P. Murphy (1877–1958)	January 7, 1937 – January 2, 1941 (did not run)	Republican	1936
						1938
65			Robert O. Blood (1887–1975)	January 2, 1941 – January 4, 1945 (lost nomination)	Republican	1940
						1942
66			Charles M. Dale (1893–1978)	January 4, 1945 – January 6, 1949 (did not run)	Republican	1944
						1946
67			Sherman Adams (1899–1986)	January 6, 1949 – January 8, 1953 (did not run)	Republican	1948
						1950
68			Hugh Gregg (1917–2003)	January 8, 1953 – January 6, 1955 (did not run)	Republican	1952
69			Lane Dwinell (1906–1997)	January 6, 1955 – January 8, 1959 (did not run)	Republican	1954
						1956
70			Wesley Powell (1915–1981)	January 8, 1959 – January 5, 1963 (lost nomination)	Republican	1958
						1960
71			John W. King (1916–1996)	January 5, 1963 – January 2, 1969 (did not run)	Democratic	1962
						1964
						1966
72			Walter R. Peterson Jr. (1922–2011)	January 2, 1969 – January 4, 1973 (lost nomination)	Republican	1968
						1970
73			Meldrim Thomson Jr. (1912–2001)	January 4, 1973 – January 4, 1979 (lost election)	Republican	1972
						1974
						1976
74			Hugh Gallen (1924–1982)	January 4, 1979 – December 29, 1982 (died in office)	Democratic	1978
						1980
—			Vesta M. Roy (1925–2002)	December 29, 1982 – January 6, 1983 (successor took office)	Republican	President of the Senate acting
75			John H. Sununu (b. 1939)	January 6, 1983 – January 5, 1989 (did not run)	Republican	1982
						1984
						1986
76			Judd Gregg (b. 1947)	January 5, 1989 – January 2, 1993 (resigned)	Republican	1988
						1990
—			Ralph D. Hough (b. 1943)	January 2, 1993 – January 7, 1993 (successor took office)	Republican	President of the Senate acting
77			Steve Merrill (1946–2020)	January 7, 1993 – January 9, 1997 (did not run)	Republican	1992
						1994
78			Jeanne Shaheen (b. 1947)	January 9, 1997 – January 9, 2003 (did not run)	Democratic	1996
						1998
						2000
79			Craig Benson (b. 1954)	January 9, 2003 – January 6, 2005 (lost election)	Republican	2002
80			John Lynch (b. 1952)	January 6, 2005 – January 3, 2013 (did not run)	Democratic	2004
						2006
						2008
						2010
81			Maggie Hassan (b. 1958)	January 3, 2013 – January 2, 2017 (resigned)	Democratic	2012
						2014
—			Chuck Morse (b. 1960)	January 3, 2017 – January 5, 2017 (successor took office)	Republican	President of the Senate acting
82			Chris Sununu (b. 1974)	January 5, 2017 – January 9, 2025 (did not run)	Republican	2016
						2018
						2020
						2022
83			Kelly Ayotte (b. 1968)	January 9, 2025 – Incumbent	Republican	2024

See also

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