Governor of New Hampshire
| New Hampshire Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| 2013 FY Budget: | $1,588,232 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 2 years |
| Authority: | New Hampshire Constitution, Article 41 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | Margaret Hassan |
| Officeholder Party: | Democratic |
| Assumed office: | January 3, 2013 |
| Compensation: | $113,834 |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Last election: | November 6, 2012 |
| Other New Hampshire Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Director of Fish & Game • Public Utilities Commission | |
Contents |
Current officer
The 91st and current governor of New Hampshire is Maggie Hassan, a Democrat elected in 2012. Hassan previously served in the New Hampshire State Senate from 2004-2010.
Authority
The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Articles 41-59, Executive Power.
Under Article 41:
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There shall be a supreme executive magistrate, who shall be styled the Governor of the State of New Hampshire, and whose title shall be His Excellency. The executive power of the state is vested in the governor. |
Qualifications
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Candidates for governor must:
- be at east 30 years old
- have been a resident of New Hampshire for at least seven years on the day of the election
Elections
New Hampshire is one of only two states that elects governors biennially, that is, each even-numbered year. For New Hampshire, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Wednesday following the first Tuesday in the January following an election. Thus, January 12, 2011, January 2, 2013, and January 14, 2015 are inaugural days.
To win the governorship, a candidate must have a plurality of votes; if no candidate does, then the legislature shall convene and choose a winning candidate from the two highest vote receivers.
2012
Incumbent John Lynch (D) did not run for re-election in 2012. Democrat Maggie Hassan defeated Ovide Lamontagne (R) and John J. Babiarz (L) in the November 6, 2012 general election.
| Governor of New Hampshire General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Maggie Hassan |
54.7% | 378,934 | |
| Republican | Ovide Lamontagne | 42.6% | 295,026 | |
| Libertarian | John J. Babiarz | 2.8% | 19,251 | |
| Total Votes | 693,211 | |||
| Election Results via New Hampshire Secretary of State. | ||||
Term limits
- See also: States with gubernatorial term limits
New Hampshire governors do not face any term limits.
Vacancies
- See also: How gubernatorial vacancies are filled
Details of vacancy appointments are addressed under Executive Power, Section 49 and 49a.
The state of New Hampshire lacks an office of the Lieutenant Governor, making the President of the Senate the first officer in the line of succession. At any time she is mentally or physically unable to discharge the office, she shall notify the Secretary of State and the Senate President in writing. By notifying the same two officers again, she shall resume the office.
The Attorney General and a majority of the Executive Council may, when they believe the Governor is mentally or physically unfit to serve but it unable or unwilling to take an absence from the office, petition the Supreme Court for a declaratory judgment. The justices of the Court shall hear the petition and shall also be in charge of considering a petition to consider declaring the Governor able to resume his duties.
If, either by written declaration or court judgment, the Governor has been absent for six months, the General Court may, by concurrent resolution, declare the office vacant. Similarly, if a Governor-elect fails to take office for any reason other than death or resignation, the Court may declare the office vacant six months after the inauguration date.
Whatever the reason for the vacancy, if more than one year remains in the current term, a special election shall be held.
After the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the Secretary of State, and the State Treasurer are next in the line of succession.
Whoever is filling the office shall have the title of "Acting Governor" and shall have the full powers of the office. She or he receives compensation equal to that of an elected governor and takes no additional oath of office. The Acting Governor does not resign the office she was elected to and is instead suspended from those duties while serving as governor.
Duties
Unlike in many other states in which Executive Councils are merely advisory, the Executive Council of New Hampshire has a strong check on the governor's power. The five-member Executive Council has a veto over many actions of the governor. Under Article 47, both the Governor and the Council "have a negative" on one another.
Together, the governor and Executive Council approve contracts with a value of $5,000 or more, approve pardons, and appoint the directors and commissioners, judges, the attorney general and officers in the National Guard.
The governor has the sole power to veto bills, subject to a two-thirds legislative override, and to command the state National Guard.
Other duties and privileges of the office include:
- Adjourning the legislature when the two chambers cannot agree to do so, prolonging and convening the legislature for extraordinary reasons, not to exceed 90 days, and moving the meeting place of the legislature
- Making all appointments for "judicial officers, the attorney general, and all officers of the navy, and general and field officers of the militia" with the approval of the General Court.
- Granting pardons, not extending to impeachment
- Granting a warrant, with the advice and consent of the Council, before the Treasury may issue any money
State budget
The budget for the Governor's office in Fiscal Year 2013 was $1,588,232.[1]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
- See also: Comparison of gubernatorial salaries
The governor's salary is legally fixed and may not be raised or decreased effective during the current term. Under Article 58:
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The governor and council shall be compensated for their services, from time to time, by such grants as the general courts shall think reasonable. |
In 2012, the New Hampshire Governor was paid an estimated $113,834. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.
Contact information
Office of the Governor
State House
25 Capitol Street
Concord, NH 03301
Phone:603-271-2121
Fax:603-271-7680
See also
External links
References
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