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New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2020 (September 8 Democratic primary)
- Primary date: Sept. 8
- Primary type: Semi-closed
- Registration deadline(s): Sept. 1
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Early voting starts: N/A
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Sept. 8 (received)
- Voter ID: Photo ID
- Poll times: Varies by locality
2024 →
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| Governor of New Hampshire |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: June 12, 2020 |
| Primary: September 8, 2020 General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent(s): Gov. Chris Sununu (R) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: Varies by municipality Voting in New Hampshire |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2020 Impact of term limits in 2020 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020 |
| New Hampshire executive elections |
| Governor Executive Council (5 seats) |
Dan Feltes defeated Andru Volinsky in the September 8, 2020 New Hampshire Democratic gubernatorial primary, with Feltes garnering 52.2% of the vote to Volinsky's 47.8% .
Both candidates received media coverage and a number of noteworthy primary endorsements leading up to the election. WMUR 9 wrote of the race, “While Volinsky is viewed as a bit further to the left philosophically than Feltes, in fact the two are similar on many other issues and point to their experiences representing for middle- and low-income people among their chief qualifications to go up against” the Republican nominee.[1]
Dan Feltes is a lawyer who worked at New Hampshire Legal Assistance before becoming a New Hampshire state senator representing District 15 in 2014. At the time of the election, he served as Senate Majority Leader.[2] On his campaign website, Feltes listed some of his key issues as including expanding access to healthcare, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, and increasing funding for public schools.[3]
Andru Volinsky is a lawyer who worked as a law professor, public defender, and as representation for death penalty defendants. At the time of the election, he was serving on the New Hampshire Executive Council for District 2, an office he assumed in 2017.[4] In an interview with Exeter TV, Volinsky said his legislative priorities if elected would include increasing funding for public schools, reducing property taxes, and addressing climate change.[5]
As of August 20, Feltes led the field in fundraising with $1,030,000 followed by Volinsky with nearly $587,000.[6] Feltes was endorsed by End Citizens United, Let America Vote, and the Voter Protection Project, while Volinsky was endorsed by the Sierra Club, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Blue America.[7][8]
The incumbent, Chris Sununu (R), was first elected in 2016 and was running for re-election. Prior to Sununu’s tenure, Democrats had held the office since 2005. As of August 2020, two independent outlets rated the general election as Likely Republican.[9][10]
New Hampshire's 2020 gubernatorial and state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In New Hampshire, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are subject to gubernatorial veto.
Andru Volinsky completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection Survey. Click here to view his responses.
Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:
 Feltes |
 Volinsky |
This page focuses on New Hampshire's Democratic gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on New Hampshire's Republican gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2020 (September 8 Republican primary)
- New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2020
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
New Hampshire modified its primary election process as follows:
- Voting procedures: Any voter may request an absentee ballot based on concerns related to COVID-19. Voters could submit one absentee ballot application for both the primary and general elections.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Dan Feltes | 52.3 | 72,318 |
 | Andru Volinsky  | 47.4 | 65,455 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 446 | ||
| Total votes: 138,219 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[11] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- New Hampshire State Senate (Assumed office: 2014)
Biography: Feltes received a B.A. in public administration and criminology from the University of Northern Iowa, an M.A. in public policy from Georgetown University, and a law degree from the University of Iowa. Before becoming a New Hampshire state senator, he worked at New Hampshire Legal Assistance as a staff attorney and, later, as the Director of their Housing Justice Project.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of New Hampshire in 2020.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- New Hampshire Executive Council (Assumed office: 2017)
Submitted Biography: "I am Andru Volinsky-a husband, father, grandfather, public servant and running in the New Hampshire gubernatorial race. I was born into a working class family and, as the first person in my family to go to college, I paid for law school by working as a carpenter. Since then, I have dedicated my life to ensure equity, specifically as it relates to educating our children and the way public schools are funded in New Hampshire. For decades, I've been at the forefront of this fight for equitable educational opportunities. I was the lead lawyer in the Claremont School Funding case in the 1990s that sought to require the state to meet its obligation to provide all students with access to a state-funded, high quality public education. I have remained deeply involved including representing the Dover School District and holding over 60 public forums around the state over the last two years to discuss how school funding really "works" and where it falls short. As Executive Councilor, I am working tirelessly to enact checks and balances and ensure that the contracts and nominations that cross my desk represent the best interests of the state. I'm running for governor to make sure every kid in New Hampshire has a quality state-funded public school education, and to stand up against the disaster of climate change."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of New Hampshire in 2020.
Primaries in New Hampshire
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. New Hampshire uses a semi-closed primary system. Unaffiliated voters may vote in the primary, but in order to do so, they have to choose a party before voting. This changes their status from unaffiliated to affiliated with that party unless they fill out a card to return to undeclared status.[12][13][14]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
State profile
| Demographic data for New Hampshire | ||
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 1,330,111 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 8,953 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 93.7% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 1.3% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2.4% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 1.8% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 3.2% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 92.3% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 34.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $66,779 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 9.9% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in New Hampshire. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
New Hampshire voted for the Democratic candidate in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, three are located in New Hampshire, accounting for 1.46 percent of the total pivot counties.[15]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. New Hampshire had one Retained Pivot County and two Boomerang Pivot Counties, accounting for 0.55 and 8.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More New Hampshire coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in New Hampshire
- United States congressional delegations from New Hampshire
- Public policy in New Hampshire
- Endorsers in New Hampshire
- New Hampshire fact checks
- More...
Past elections
2018
General election
General election for Governor of New Hampshire
Incumbent Chris Sununu defeated Molly Kelly and Jilletta Jarvis in the general election for Governor of New Hampshire on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Chris Sununu (R) | 52.8 | 302,764 |
 | Molly Kelly (D) | 45.8 | 262,359 | |
 | Jilletta Jarvis (L) | 1.4 | 8,197 | |
| Total votes: 573,320 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire
Molly Kelly defeated Steve Marchand in the Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire on September 11, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Molly Kelly | 66.0 | 80,599 |
 | Steve Marchand | 34.0 | 41,612 | |
| Total votes: 122,211 | |||
| = 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
Incumbent Chris Sununu advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of New Hampshire on September 11, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Sununu | 100.0 | 91,025 |
| Total votes: 91,025 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Governor of New Hampshire
Jilletta Jarvis defeated Aaron Day in the Libertarian primary for Governor of New Hampshire on September 11, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jilletta Jarvis | 54.2 | 576 |
 | Aaron Day | 45.8 | 487 | |
| Total votes: 1,063 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2016
General election
Chris Sununu defeated Colin Van Ostern and Max Abramson in the New Hampshire governor election.
| New Hampshire Governor, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Chris Sununu |
49% | 354,040 | |
| Democratic | Colin Van Ostern | 46.7% | 337,589 | |
| Libertarian | Max Abramson | 4.3% | 31,243 | |
| Total Votes | 722,872 | |||
| Source: The New York Times | ||||
Primary elections
Colin Van Ostern defeated Steve Marchand, Mark Connolly , Ian Freeman and Derek Dextraze in the New Hampshire Democratic primary for governor.
| New Hampshire Democratic primary for governor, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Colin Van Ostern |
51.99% | 37,694 |
| Steve Marchand | 25.29% | 18,338 |
| Mark Connolly | 20.47% | 14,839 |
| Ian Freeman | 1.47% | 1,069 |
| Derek Dextraze | 0.77% | 557 |
| Total Votes (300 of 300 precincts reporting) | 72,497 | |
| Source: AP | ||
Chris Sununu defeated Frank Edelblut, Ted Gatsas, Jeanie Forrester and Jon Lavoie in the New Hampshire Republican primary for governor.
| New Hampshire Republican primary for governor, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Chris Sununu |
30.68% | 34,137 |
| Frank Edelblut | 29.79% | 33,149 |
| Ted Gatsas | 20.53% | 22,840 |
| Jeanie Forrester | 17.72% | 19,716 |
| Jon Lavoie | 1.28% | 1,429 |
| Total Votes (300 of 300 precincts reporting) | 111,271 | |
| Source: AP | ||
2014
| Governor of New Hampshire, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Maggie Hassan Incumbent |
52.5% | 254,659 | |
| Republican | Walter Havenstein | 47.3% | 229,596 | |
| Nonpartisan | Scattering | 0.2% | 907 | |
| Total Votes | 485,162 | |||
| Election results via New Hampshire Secretary of State | ||||
To view the full electoral history for governor of New Hampshire, click [show] to expand the full section. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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See also
| New Hampshire | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ WMUR 9, "Democrats have clear choice in gubernatorial candidates Sen. Feltes, Councilor Volinsky," August 13, 2020
- ↑ Dan Feltes 2020 campaign website, "Get to know Dan," accessed August 24, 2020
- ↑ Dan Feltes 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed August 24, 2020
- ↑ Andru Volinsky 2020 campaign website, "Meet Andy," accessed August 25, 2020
- ↑ Exeter TV on Youtube, "Gubernatorial Race 2020 || An Interview with Andru Volinsky," July 29, 2020
- ↑ WMUR 9, "NH Primary Source: Financial reports show Feltes with more cash than Volinsky but less than Sununu," August 20, 2020
- ↑ Dan Feltes 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed August 25, 2020
- ↑ Andru Volinsky 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed August 25, 2020
- ↑ UVA Center for Politics, "Sabato's Crystal Ball," accessed August 25, 2020
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "2020 Governor Race Ratings," accessed August 25, 2020
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed April 25, 2023
- ↑ Ballotpedia research conducted December 26, 2013, through January 3, 2014, researching and analyzing various state websites and codes.
- ↑ New Hampshire Secretary of State,"Voting in Party Primaries," accessed April 25, 2023
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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