# 2004 New Hampshire gubernatorial election

Elections in New Hampshire :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1788–89
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Local
Dixville Notch
Hart's Location
United States Senate elections
1788
1789
1792
1794
1798
1798 (sp)
1800
1801 (sp)
1802 (sp)
1804
1807
1810
1810 (sp)
1813 (sp)
1814 (sp)
1816
1817 (sp)
1818
1819
1823
1825
1846 (sp)
1831
1835
1836 (sp)
1837
1841
1842 (sp)
1843
1846
1852
1855
1855 (sp)
1857 (sp)
1859
1861
1864
1870
1872
1876
1879 (sp)
1883 (sp)
1885 (sp)
1887 (sp)
1889 (sp)
1891
1895
1897
1901
1903
1907
1909
1913
1914
1918
1918 (sp)
1920
1924
1926
1930
1932
1936
1938
1942
1944
1948
1950
1954
1954 (sp)
1956
1960
1962
1962 (sp)
1966
1968
1972
1974/5
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
United States House elections
1789
1789 (sp)
1790
1792
1794
1796
1797 (sp)
1798
1799 (sp)
1800 (sp)
1800
1802 (sp)
1802
1804
1806
1808
1810/1811
1812
1814
1814 (sp)
1816
1819
1820
1822/1823
1824/1825
1825 (sp)
1827
1829
1831
1833
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1845/1846
1847
1849
1851
1853
1855
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1875
1877
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1917 (sp 1st)
1920
1928
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1954
1956
1968
1972
1980
1984
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
Gubernatorial elections
1800
1801
1802
1803
1804
1805
1806
1807
1808
1809
1810
1811
1812
1813
1814
1815
1816
1817
1818
1819
1820
1821
1822
1823
1824
1825
1826
1827
1828
1829
1830
1831
1832
1833
1834
1835
1836
1837
1838
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
1871
1872
1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
Mar. 1878
Nov. 1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Executive Council elections
2018
2020
2022
2024
General Court elections
2004
2006
Senate elections
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
House elections
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Manchester
Mayoral elections
19th century
1846
1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856 (Mar)
1856 (Nov)
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
1871
1872
1873
1875
1876
1877
1878 (Mar)
1878 (Nov)
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
20th century
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1915
1917
1919
1921
1923
1925
1927
1929
1931
1933
1935
1937
1939
1941
1943
1945
1947
1949
1951
1953
1955
1957
1959
1961
1963
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
21st century
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023 :
vte :
The 2004 New Hampshire gubernatorial election occurred on November 2, 2004, concurrent with that year's presidential election. Democrat John Lynch, a multimillionaire businessman from Hopkinton, narrowly defeated incumbent Republican governor Craig Benson of Rye, winning a two-year term. Benson was the first New Hampshire governor in 80 years to lose reelection after one term. Lynch was sworn in on January 6, 2005.
To date, Benson is the most recent incumbent governor to lose reelection in any New England state.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* John Lynch, businessman and University System of New Hampshire Trustee
* Paul McEachern, perennial candidate

### Results

Democratic Primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | John Lynch | 43,798 | 74.28% |
| | Democratic | Paul McEachern | 14,403 | 24.43% |
| | Democratic | Write-ins | 761 | 1.29% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 58,962 | 100.00% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Craig Benson, incumbent governor of New Hampshire
* Charles Tarbell, New Castle selectman

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Craig Benson (incumbent) | 49,097 | 74.00% |
| | Republican | Charles Tarbell | 13,621 | 20.53% |
| | Republican | Write-ins | 3,632 | 5.47% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 66,350 | 100.00% |

## General election
### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean R | November 1, 2004 |

### Results

New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2004 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | John Lynch | 340,299 | 51.02% | +12.80% |
| | Republican | Craig Benson (incumbent) | 325,981 | 48.87% | −9.75% |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 740 | 0.11% | n/a |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 667,020 | 100.00% | n/a |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

#### Counties that swung from Republican to Democratic

* Coös (largest city: Berlin)
* Grafton (largest city: Lebanon)
* Merrimack (largest city: Concord)
* Strafford (largest city: Dover)
* Sullivan (largest city: Claremont)