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2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election

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2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election

 2018
November 3, 2020
2022 
 
Nominee Chris Sununu Dan Feltes
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 516,609 264,639
Percentage 65.12% 33.36%

Sununu:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Feltes:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      >90%
     No votes

Governor before election

Chris Sununu
Republican

Elected Governor

Chris Sununu
Republican

The 2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the governor of New Hampshire.[1] Incumbent Republican Governor Chris Sununu was elected to a third two-year term in office with more than 65% of the vote and winning every county, defeating his opponent Dan Feltes, the Majority Leader of the Senate.[2] Nine governors ran for re-election in this cycle and all nine were re-elected. Sununu's win marked the first time since 1986 that a Republican was elected to a third term as governor, in which year his father, John H. Sununu was reelected for his third and final term. The elder Sununu chose not to seek reelection in 1988, instead becoming George H. W. Bush's chief of staff in 1989.

Sununu became the first person to get more than 500,000 votes in the state's electoral history. As of 2026, this is the only gubernatorial election since 2012 where either major party won every county.

Republican primary

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Candidates

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Nominee

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Eliminated in primary

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  • Nobody, activist formerly known as Rich Paul[4]
  • Karen Testerman, Franklin city councilor[5]

Declined

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Polling

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Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size[a]
Margin
of error
Chris
Sununu
Karen
Testerman
Other Undecided
University of New Hampshire[8] August 28 – September 1, 2020 703 (LV) ± 3.7% 82% 15% 1%[b] 2%
Robocent/Free Keene[9] August 24, 2020 1,219 (RV) ± 2.8% 79% 5% 16%[c]
Saint Anselm College[10] August 15–17, 2020 475 (RV) ± 4.5% 82% 7% 3%[d] 8%

Results

[edit]
Results by county:
  Sununu—80–90%
  Sununu—≥90%
Republican primary results[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Chris Sununu (incumbent) 130,703 89.67%
Republican Karen Testerman 13,589 9.32%
Republican Nobody 1,239 0.85%
Democratic Andru Volinsky (write-in) 93 0.063%
Democratic Dan Feltes (write-in) 3 0.002%
Total votes 145,757 100.0%

Democratic primary

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Candidates

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Nominee

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Eliminated in primary

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Declined

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Endorsements

[edit]
Dan Feltes

Local and state politicians

Labor unions

Polling

[edit]
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size[a]
Margin
of error
Dan
Feltes
Andru
Volinsky
Other Undecided
University of New Hampshire[8] August 28 – September 1, 2020 839 (LV) ± 3.4% 36% 38% 4%[e] 22%
Saint Anselm College[10] August 15–17, 2020 498 (RV) ± 4.4% 22% 19% 13%[f] 46%

Results

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Results by county:
  Feltes—50–60%
  Volinsky—50–60%
Democratic primary results[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Dan Feltes 72,318 50.90%
Democratic Andru Volinsky 65,455 46.06%
Republican Chris Sununu (write-in) 4,276 3.00%
Republican Karen Testerman (write-in) 39 0.03%
Republican Nobody (write-in) 6 0.01%
Total votes 142,094 100.0%

Other candidates

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Libertarian Party

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Nominee

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  • Darryl W. Perry, author and candidate for U.S. president in 2016[23][24]

Independent

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Did not qualify for the ballot

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General election

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Predictions

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Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[26] Safe R October 23, 2020
Inside Elections[27] Likely R October 28, 2020
Sabato's Crystal Ball[28] Likely R November 2, 2020
Politico[29] Likely R November 2, 2020
Daily Kos[30] Safe R October 28, 2020
RCP[31] Likely R November 2, 2020
270towin[32] Likely R November 2, 2020

Endorsements

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Dan Feltes (D)

Local and state politicians

Darryl W. Perry (L)

Politicians

  • Ken Armstrong, 2020 Libertarian candidate for president/vice president[33]
  • Caleb Q. Dyer, former state representative and House Libertarian Caucus leader[33]

Polling

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Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size[a]
Margin
of error
Chris
Sununu (R)
Dan
Feltes (D)
Other /
Undecided
American Research Group[34] October 26–28, 2020 864 (LV) ± 4.6% 51% 46% 3%[g]
University of New Hampshire[8] October 24–28, 2020 1,889 (LV) ± 2.3% 60% 36% 3%[h]
Saint Anselm College[35] October 23–26, 2020 1,018 (LV) ± 3.1% 60% 35% 6%[i]
YouGov/UMass Amherst[36] October 16–26, 2020 757 (LV) ± 4.5% 59% 36% 5%[j]
University of New Hampshire[37] October 9–12, 2020 899 (LV) ± 3.2% 62% 37% 1%[k]
Suffolk University[38] October 8–12, 2020 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 55% 31% 14%[l]
Saint Anselm College[39] October 1–4, 2020 1,147 (LV) ± 2.9% 58% 35% 7%[m]
Emerson College[40] September 30 – October 1, 2020 700 (LV) ± 3.6% 55% 40% 5%[n]
American Research Group[41] September 25–28, 2020 600 (LV) ± 4% 52% 44% 4%[o]
University of New Hampshire[37] September 24–28, 2020 972 (LV) ± 3.1% 55% 37% 5%[j]
YouGov/UMass Lowell[42] September 17–25, 2020 657 (LV) ±  4.6% 60% 34% 7%[p]
University of New Hampshire[8] August 28 – September 1, 2020 1,889 (LV) ± 2.3% 57% 33% 9%[q]
University of New Hampshire[43] July 16–28, 2020 1,893 (LV) ± 2.2% 59% 28% 13%[r]
University of New Hampshire[43] June 18–22, 2020 932 (LV) ± 2.8% 62% 23% 15%[s]
We Ask America[44] June 13–15, 2020 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 59% 20% 21%[t]
University of New Hampshire[43] May 14–18, 2020 788 (LV) ± 3.2% 61% 21% 18%[u]
University of New Hampshire[45] February 19–25, 2020 576 (LV) ± 4.1% 56% 27% 18%[v]
Emerson College[46] September 6–9, 2019 1,041 (RV) ± 3.0% 53% 37% 10%[w]
Hypothetical polling

with Andru Volinsky

Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size[a]
Margin
of error
Chris
Sununu
(R)
Andru
Volinsky
(D)
Other /
Undecided
University of New Hampshire[8] August 28 – September 1, 2020 1,889 (LV) ± 2.3% 58% 32% 8%[x]
University of New Hampshire[43] July 16–28, 2020 1,893 (LV) ± 2.2% 58% 29% 13%[r]
University of New Hampshire[43] June 18–22, 2020 932 (LV) ± 2.8% 62% 22% 16%[y]
University of New Hampshire[43] May 14–18, 2020 788 (LV) ± 3.2% 61% 20% 19%[z]
University of New Hampshire[45] February 19–25, 2020 576 (LV) ± 4.1% 54% 29% 16%[aa]

Results

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2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election[47]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Chris Sununu (incumbent) 516,609 65.12% +12.34%
Democratic Dan Feltes 264,639 33.36% −12.38%
Libertarian Darryl W. Perry 11,329 1.43% 0.00%
Write-in 683 0.09% +0.04%
Total votes 793,260 100.0%
Turnout 814,449 68.16%
Registered electors 1,194,843
Republican hold

By county

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By county
County Chris Sununu
Republican
Dan Feltes
Democratic
Darryl Perry
Libertarian
Write-in Margin Total
votes
# % # % # % # % # %
Belknap 28,074 73.68 9,491 24.91 500 1.31 38 0.10 18,583 48.77 38,103
Carroll 22,119 67.20 10,428 31.68 348 1.06 20 0.06 11,691 35.52 32,915
Cheshire 24,708 56.79 17,973 41.31 781 1.79 49 0.11 6,735 15.48 43,511
Coös 11,409 69.78 4,666 28.54 265 1.62 10 0.06 6,743 41.24 16,350
Grafton 29,174 54.96 23,023 43.38 838 1.58 43 0.08 6,151 11.59 53,078
Hillsborough 150,153 66.29 72,614 32.06 3,524 1.56 200 0.09 77,539 34.23 226,491
Merrimack 56,266 63.16 31,572 35.44 1,145 1.29 106 0.12 24,694 27.72 89,089
Rockingham 134,292 68.17 60,232 30.58 2,337 1.19 135 0.07 74,060 37.59 196,996
Strafford 44,542 61.35 26,791 36.90 1,205 1.66 67 0.09 17,751 24.45 72,605
Sullivan 15,872 65.80 7,849 32.54 386 1.60 15 0.06 8,023 33.26 24,122
Totals 516,609 65.12 264,639 33.36 11,329 1.43 683 0.09 251,970 31.76 793,260

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

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Sununu won both congressional districts, which both elected Democrats.[48]

District Sununu Feltes Representative
1st 67% 32% Chris Pappas
2nd 63% 35% Annie Kuster

See also

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Notes

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  1. 1 2 3 4 Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  2. "Another candidate" with 1%
  3. Listed as "Nobody" - the answer respondents gave when asked towards which candidate they leaned
  4. "Someone else" with 3%
  5. "Another candidate" with 4%
  6. "Someone else" with 13%
  7. Perry (L) with 1%; Undecided with 2%
  8. Perry (L) with 2%; "Another candidate" with <1%; Undecided with 1%
  9. Perry (L) and "Someone else" with 1%; Undecided with 4%
  10. 1 2 "Another candidate" with 1%; Undecided with 4%
  11. Perry (L) with <1%; Undecided with 1%
  12. Perry (L) with 4%; "Refused" with 2%; "Other" with no voters; Undecided with 8%
  13. Perry (L) with 2%; "Someone else" with 1%; Undecided with 5%
  14. "Someone else" with 3%; Undecided with 2%
  15. Perry (L) with 0%; Undecided with 3%
  16. "Another candidate" with 1%; Undecided with 6%
  17. Perry (L) with 1%; Undecided with 8%
  18. 1 2 "Another candidate" with 1%; Undecided with 12%
  19. "Another candidate" with 2%; Undecided with 13%
  20. Undecided with 21%
  21. "Another candidate" with 0%; Undecided with 18%
  22. "Another candidate" with 4%; Undecided with 14%
  23. Undecided with 10%
  24. Perry (L) with 1%; Undecided with 7%
  25. "Another candidate" with 2%; Undecided with 14%
  26. "Another candidate" with 0%; Undecided with 19%
  27. "Another candidate" with 3%; Undecided with 13%

References

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  1. "New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2020 (September 8 Republican primary)". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved June 22, 2020.
  2. "Sununu: 'We're coming out of winter, we're coming out of COVID'". March 13, 2021. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  3. DiStaso, John [@jdistaso] (May 14, 2019). "BREAKING: .@GovChrisSununu announces he's seeking a third term as #nhgov - #nhpolitics #WMUR" (Tweet). Retrieved May 14, 2019 via Twitter.
  4. "Nobody". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  5. "Conservative Activist Testerman To Primary Gov. Sununu". Concord, NH Patch. June 9, 2020. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  6. Steinhauser, Paul (April 4, 2019). "Choices loom for Sununu, Ayotte ahead of 2020 election". Concord Monitor. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  7. 1 2 Pisani, Madelaine (April 8, 2019). "Republicans Await Sununu's 2020 Decision". National Journal. Archived from the original on April 9, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "University of New Hampshire". Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  9. "Robocent/Free Keene". Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Saint Anselm College" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on August 20, 2020. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  11. "2020 State Primary Republican State Primary". New Hampshire Department of State. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  12. DiStaso, John; Sexton, Adam (September 3, 2019). "Promising to put working-class families first, Democrat Dan Feltes announces run for governor". WMUR 9. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  13. Landrigan, Kevin (October 23, 2019). "Volinsky makes official his 2020 Democratic bid for governor". New Hampshire Union Leader. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  14. 1 2 3 Steinhauser, Paul (January 23, 2019). "Andru Volinsky considering 2020 run for governor". Concord Monitor. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  15. Lahut, Jake (October 1, 2019). "Molly Kelly to sit out 2020 NH governor's race". The Keene Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  16. DiStaso, John (June 20, 2019). "NH Primary Source: Democrat Mindi Messmer says, 'I'm running' for Executive Council". WMUR. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 "Senator Feltes Endorsed By Over 75 State Representatives". nhlabornews.com. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  18. 1 2 3 4 John DiStaso (October 31, 2019). "NH Primary Source: Energy, environmental leaders, activists endorse Feltes for governor". wmur.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 John DiStaso (September 30, 2019). "NH Primary Source: Amherst's Chandley becomes sixth state senator to endorse Feltes for governor". wmur.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  20. 1 2 Dan Feltes. "Thank you, Sen. Kahn and Rep. Myler for all you do as Chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees". facebook.com.
  21. John DiStaso (May 7, 2020). "NH Primary Source: Two Laborers union locals endorse Feltes for governor". wmur.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  22. "2020 State Primary Democratic State Primary". New Hampshire Department of State. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  23. Lahut, Jake (December 5, 2019). "Keene Libertarian announces run for governor". The Keene Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2019.
  24. DiStaso, John (September 3, 2020). "NH Primary Source: It's official: Libertarian Party candidates to be on general election ballot". WMUR. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  25. "2020 Election Information - NHSOS". sos.nh.gov. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  26. "2020 Governor Race Ratings for October 23, 2020". The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original on October 12, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  27. "2020 Gubernatorial Ratings". insideelections.com. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  28. "2020 Gubernatorial race ratings". Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball. November 2, 2020. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  29. "We rated every gubernatorial race in 2020. Here's who we think will win". Politico. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  30. "2020 Governor Race Ratings". Daily Kos. June 1, 2020. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  31. "2020 Governor Races". RealClearPolitics. June 13, 2020. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  32. "2020 Gubernatorial Elections Map". 270towin. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  33. 1 2 "Endorsements". February 16, 2020. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  34. "American Research Group". Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  35. "Saint Anselm College" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  36. "YouGov/UMass Amherst" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  37. 1 2 "University of New Hampshire". Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  38. "Suffolk University". Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  39. "Saint Anselm College" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  40. "Emerson College". Archived from the original on October 3, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  41. "American Research Group". Archived from the original on October 6, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  42. "YouGov/UMass Lowell" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
  43. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "University of New Hampshire". Archived from the original on July 29, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  44. "We Ask America". Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  45. 1 2 "University of New Hampshire". Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  46. "Emerson College". Archived from the original on September 10, 2019. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  47. "2020 General Election". New Hampshire Department of State. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  48. "DRA 2020". Daves Redistricting. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
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Official campaign websites

2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election
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