NEW HAMPSHIRE
     Nov. 6, 2012 Governor

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+Maggie Hassan (D)
378,934
54.61%
Ovide Lamontagne (R) 295,026
42.52%
John J. Babiarz (L) 19,251
2.77%
scatter 666  

693,877

Names on checklist: 905,957.  Ballots cast: 718,,700.
Margin of victory: 83,908 votes (12.09 percentage points).

 NH Secretary of State



Notes:
Gov. John Lynch (D), first elected in 2004, announced on Sept. 15, 2011 that he would not seek a fifth term.  Former state Sen. Maggie Hassan (D) defeated attorney Ovide Lamontagne (R) and self-employed entrepreneur John Babiarz (L).
 
In the Sept. 11, 2012 Democratic primary, Hassan defeated Jackie Cilley and Bill Kennedy by 53.1% to 38.9% and 7.0%.  Cilley is a former state Senator from Barrington; Kennedy a firefighter and veteran from Danbury.  Hassan, from Exeter, served in the state Senate from 2004-10 including as Majority Leader from 2008-10.  She announced her candidacy for Governor on Oct. 25, 2011.

In the Sept. 11, 2012 Republican primary, Lamontagne defeated Kevin H. Smith by 67.7% to 29.8%.  Smith, an influential conservative activist, resigned from his position as executive director of Cornerstone Action to run.  Lamontagne, an attorney, was making his fourth run for public office.  In 1992 he challenged U.S. Rep. Bill Zeliff (R), in 1996 he was the Republican nominee for governor, losing to Jeanne Shaheen, and in 2010 he ran for U.S. Senate, losing to Kelly Ayotte in the primary.  He announced his candidacy for Governor on Sept. 19, 2011.

Hassan and Lamontagne debated many times including:
Sept. 19 -
Business and Industry Association, NHPTV, NHPR and the NH Union Leader at NHIOP at St. Anselm College (1, 2, 3)
Oct. 1 -
New Hampshire Hospital Association, New Hampshire Health Policy Council and NHPR.
Oct. 2 - no details.
Oct. 3 - Concord Chamber of Commerce.
Oct. 4 - at New England College in Henniker. 
Oct. 8 - WBIN-TV studios in Derry (>).
Oct. 30 - Mount Washington Valley Economic Council at the North Conway Grand Hotel.
Nov. 1 - WMUR-TV studios in Manchester.

Spending by outside groups was significant, while spending by the campaigns themselves was roughly equal, about $1.9 million each

according to FollowtheMoney.org (>).
 

Campaign Managers
:
Maggie Hassan:
Matt Burgess
(Jan. 2012)  Consultant, Feb. 2011-Jan. 2012.  Political advisor at EMILY's List, Apr. 2007-Feb. 2011.  Senior associate at MacWilliams Robinson & Partners, Apr. 2006-Apr. 2007.  Communications director at Matt Brown for U.S. Senate (RI), Jan. 2005-Apr. 2006. Communications director on Betty Castor for U.S. Senate, Apr.-Nov. 2004.  Communications at SEIU, Feb. 2003-Mar. 2004.  Press secretary on Jill Long Thompson for Congress, Aug.-Nov. 2002.  Press secretary on Lynn Rivers for Congress, Apr.-Aug. 2002.  Assistant to the national field director/NH staff on Bill Bradley for President, 1999-2000.  Studied at Suffolk University.
 
Ovide Lamontagne: Paul Collins
(Mar. 2012)  Consultant on Jon Huntsman's 2011-12 NH primary campaign. In the 2010 cycle he served as senior political strategist on businessman Bill Binnie's U.S. Senate campaign for about four months, then managed Sean Mahoney's unsuccessful bid for the 1st CD seat in the Sept. 2010 primary. Executive director of the NH Republican Party, 1999.  Managed John E. Sununu's congressional and Senate campaigns, 1996 through Jan. 2009.  Managed Pete Wilson's brief NH primary effort (summer 1995), then when he withdrew served as state director on Steve Forbes NH campaign (from Oct. 1995).  District director to Rep. Charlie Bass to July 1995. During the Administration of President George H. W. Bush, when John H. Sununu was chief of staff, Collins served as Deputy Director of the Office of National Service (1,000 points of light) and then Special Assistant to the President for Political Affairs. Worked for John H. Sununu starting in 1982, serving key roles on his three campaigns for governor and as a gubernatorial aide.  NH political director on Pete du Pont's NH primary campaign.


See also:
Josh Rogers.  "Tiny N.H. Draws Big Money And Names To Gubernatorial Race."  NHPR, Oct. 27, 2012.

Brian Wallstin.  "Outside Spending on New Hampshire Governor's Race Continues To Rise."  NHPR, Oct. 13, 2012.








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