Jonathan Kiper

Jonathan Kiper

Democratic Party

Candidate, Governor of New Hampshire

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

High school

Exeter High School

Associate

SAE Institute Melbourne, 2005

Personal

Birthplace

Fitchburg, Mass.

Religion

Follower of Jesus Christ

Profession

Restaurateur

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Campaign TikTok

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Jonathan Kiper (Democratic Party) is running for election for Governor of New Hampshire. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election.^[source]

Biography

Jonathan Kiper was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He earned a high school diploma from Exeter High School and an associate degree from the SAE Institute in Melbourne, Australia, in 2005. His career experience includes working as a restaurateur. As of his 2024 campaign, Kiper had also published three books and recorded and published numerous musical alumnus and songs.

Kiper has been affiliated with the following organizations:

• Newmarket Community Church
• Newmarket Main Street Corp
• Newmarket MillSpace.

Elections

2026

See also: New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Governor of New Hampshire

Jonathan Kiper is running in the general election for Governor of New Hampshire on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Jonathan Kiper (D)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
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Endorsements

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2024

See also: New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2024

General election

General election for Governor of New Hampshire

Kelly Ayotte defeated Joyce Craig and Stephen Villee in the general election for Governor of New Hampshire on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kelly Ayotte (R)	53.6	436,122
		Joyce Craig (D)	44.3	360,149
		Stephen Villee (L)	2.0	16,202
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	1,024

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 813,497
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Edmond LaPlante (Constitution Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire

Joyce Craig defeated Cinde Warmington and Jonathan Kiper in the Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire on September 10, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joyce Craig	47.9	59,976
		Cinde Warmington	41.8	52,420
		Jonathan Kiper	9.4	11,789
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	1,076

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 125,261
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of New Hampshire

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of New Hampshire on September 10, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kelly Ayotte	63.1	88,117
		Chuck Morse	34.1	47,567
		Shaun Fife	0.6	876
	Submit photo	Robert McClory	0.6	839
		Frank Staples	0.6	809
	Submit photo	Richard McMenamon II	0.4	527
		Other/Write-in votes	0.6	867

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 139,602
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kiper in this election.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

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You can ask Jonathan Kiper to fill out this survey by using the buttons below or emailing jonkiper@votekiper.org.

2024

Jonathan Kiper completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kiper's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a small business owner, father of a 2nd greater who attends public school, and a lifelong NH resident. I am running for governor to champion the causes of the working-class and middle-class: fighting inflation and increasing housing affordability. I believe we need to hold big oil accountable for global warming and also legalize cannabis. I strongly believe in keeping the government out of personal medical decisions. Live free or die!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• We need more affordable housing.
• We need to legalize cannabis.
• We need to protect individuals right to make their own medical decisions.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I believe NH needs to pay our state Reps and senators. Currently they receive $100 per year as such most middle-class and working class people cannot participate in the system. We need to pay them a stipend of $2000 a month when they are in session. This would make for better outcomes for the middle and working class.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to the founding fathers of the United States. They were able to stand up to a superior force and prevail against the odds. They were able to work together as a group to achieve a common goal, motivated by freedom and self determination.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe we need more honesty and transparency from our elected officials. We need to tell voters the truth about taxes, government services and the limitations of those services. There are no simple solutions, but we need to bring back Yankee ingenuity: finding creative and thrifty solutions to today’s problems. I also believe many social and environmental solution can also save tax payers money in the long run.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am good at making complex topics seem less complicated. I am good at identifying systemic issues and brainstorming creative solutions to those issues. I am good at delegating tasks, managing people and ensuring a positive work environment for my staff.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to modernize the NH government and leave NH with a plan for the next 100 years.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

9-11 happened when I was 18. I had just graduated high school and was about to travel to Australia.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked at a gas station when I was 13. I worked there for about a year.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut. I like Vonnegut’s playful writing style. The book ends with as many questions as it began with. Leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I would be one of the children in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Gangnam Style!

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Prior to starting my own business, I struggled to find meaningful employment. I have found self employment has granted me the freedom I need to fully enjoy my life.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean do you?

The governor sets the goals and expectations for the administration of the state. The Governor appoints people to various roles to ensure the state runs smoothly and the needs of the citizens are met. I would like to modernize the processes which residents use to interact with the various governmental agencies to ensure higher rates of satisfaction.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

The power to veto or sign legislation into law is the most important function.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

The governor should work with the legislature to draft a budget that meets the needs of the state while being as fiscally responsible as possible. We need to balance the services provided by the government with the burden placed on the tax payers.

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

Our state does not allow the line item veto.

If the governor's office in your state does not have the line-item veto power, do you believe it should? Why or why not?

I believe this could be a good tool for the governor to use when legislation needs minor adjustments.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

In an ideal world, the governor and the state legislature would communicate frequently and openly to draft laws that improve the lives of residents of the state.

What do you love most about your state?

The best part about NH is the natural beauty from the beaches to the mountains. We need to protect this asset.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

We need to modernize the functions of the state to address the issues of the current world.

Tell us your favorite joke.

A bagel,a fried egg, and a piece of bacon walk into a bar. The bagel says can I have a drink for me and my friends in the barge center says sorry we don’t serve breakfast.

Under what circumstances should the governor of your state be able to use emergency powers?

The governor should use emergency powers during an emergency, when the residents need rapid solutions.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Rep. Amanda Bouldin, Rep. Ellen Read.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Kiper’s campaign website stated the following:

“	The Man with the Plans Inflation Reduction Plan For a prosperous future, businesses must invest in a well-educated workforce complemented by affordable housing and affordable childcare. Ignoring these needs will only steer New Hampshire toward economic downfall. We must act now. Affordable Housing Our housing crisis is the number one driver of inflation. Higher wages will inevitably be followed by higher prices for everyday consumer needs—a feedback loop that unfortunately only serves to exacerbate inflation. New Hampshire’s economy needs one key thing: more housing stock. Cannabis Legalization New Hampshire is an island of prohibition—every bordering state has legalized cannabis for recreational use. Every day, Granite Staters cross state lines in droves to pay taxes to neighboring states. In refusing to move forward, our state government is leaving money on the table. Revenues from legal cannabis could be used to address our housing crisis and breathe new life into our state’s economy. Education Funding New Hampshire's education funding model, which relies on local municipalities for a large portion of its funding, may have made sense in centuries past. Today, Granite Staters are burdened with sky-high property taxes in exchange for limited and underfunded public services while the state legislature pours tax dollars into private and religious schools via its "voucher" scheme. To support our public schools, our school funding model needs a 21st century redesign. Medical Freedom Whether we're talking reproductive rights, medical cannabis, or trans rights, New Hampshire remains the Live Free or Die State. Privacy and autonomy in medical decisions is a cornerstone of our state ethos, and the legislature should stop playing doctor. Climate Action While Big Tobacco and Purdue Pharma have been held to account for poisoning and killing New Hampshire residents, other large corporations have yet to experience any liability. We don't need to wait on Congress to take action—New Hampshire can recover damages and implement fiscally smart strategies to alter our impact on the environment. Democracy New Hampshire is the only state in the nation that requires a "volunteer" legislature, compensating our lawmakers only $100 per year. As a result, our legislature skews older, wealthier, and retired. It should come as no surprise, then, that our state government has failed to legalize cannabis or address the housing crisis. With a paid legislature, we can enjoy true representative democracy.	”
—Jonathan Kiper’s campaign website (2024)

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Jonathan Kiper campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Governor of New Hampshire	Lost primary	$23,613	$0
Grand total			$23,613	$0
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

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Footnotes

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