On Thursday, Jan. 6, Gov. John Lynch will be inaugurated to an unprecedented fourth term as governor of New Hampshire. The inaugural ceremony (by invitation only) will take place at noon in Concord at Representatives Hall in the State House, following a breakfast honoring state employees.
It’s a historic moment for this Democrat, who was first elected in 2004 over incumbent Republican Craig Benson. He handily pummeled his opponents in 2006 and 2008, both banner years for Democrats, and staved off John Stephen for a singular victory in an otherwise Republican blowout this November.
Prior to Benson’s term, current U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen served as governor for three terms, meaning Democrats have held the state’s governorship for 12 of the last 14 years, with at least another two years coming. It’s a sore subject for Republicans, who won overwhelming majorities in the N.H. House and Senate and swept the state’s Congressional races in 2010, but still could not unseat John Lynch.
Throughout his tenure, Lynch has enjoyed a high favorability rating among voters. Although the state’s economy has suffered in recent years, New Hampshire has weathered the recession better than most other states. Meanwhile, Lynch has signed a number of historic bills, including the enactment of civil unions in 2007 and same-sex marriage in 2009. He recently scored a victory by securing funding—and Maine’s partnership—toward the construction of a replacement for the ailing Memorial Bridge from Portsmouth to Kittery.
But not everyone approves of Lynch’s performance. At a meeting of the Seacoast Republican Women in Portsmouth in November 2008, shortly after Democrats put a sound whupping on the Grand Old Party, former Gov. John H. Sununu famously called Lynch “the worst governor New Hampshire’s ever had.”  
Opponents have criticized Lynch not only for approving gay marriage, but for allegedly overspending, contributing to an enormous state deficit, failing to create balanced budgets, and supporting some unpopular tax and fee increases.
Not surprisingly, support for Lynch among current legislators is split across partisan lines. Asked what grade he would give Lynch for his performance over the last six years, Rep. Robin Read (D-Portsmouth) gave the governor an “A.”
A member of the House Science, Technology and Energy Committee, Read praised Lynch for his environmental record and energy policies. He noted that the state has passed legislation requiring that 25 percent of New Hampshire’s electricity come from renewable energy sources by the year 2025. Lynch also started the Green Launching Pad program to assist businesses that promote energy efficiency.
“I am especially impressed by Gov. Lynch’s record on reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming and his work on other initiatives and legislation that protect our environment and lessen our dependency on fossil fuels, particularly oil from the Middle East, and help people lower their energy bills,” Read said in an e-mail.
On the other end of the spectrum, freshman Rep. Frederick Leonard (R-Rochester) gave Lynch a “D” for his performance so far. He said Lynch’s worst actions to date include signing the gay marriage law, repealing a parental notification law for minors seeking abortions, and “smoke and mirrors budgeting.”
Leonard said New Hampshire is a dramatically different state now than it was when the governor first took office.
“We have a budget we cannot sustain and taxes and fees have been raised without regard to the people’s ability to pay. We also have the highest corporate tax structure in the country,” he said in an e-mail.
Leonard said he could not think of a single positive thing Lynch has achieved during his tenure. “Frankly, I’ve not been impressed with anything he claims as an accomplishment,” he said.
Rep. Timothy Horrigan (D-Durham) gave Lynch a mixed review. He lauded the governor for supporting marriage equality, but criticized him for twice appointing Republican Kelly Ayotte as the state’s attorney general (Ayotte was elected to the U.S. Senate in November).
Overall, Horrigan gave Lynch a “B” for his performance so far, but Horrigan voted for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tim Robertson in the 2010 primary and even considered voting against Lynch in the general election.
Looking ahead, Horrigan said Lynch’s top priority over the next two years should be to fend off efforts by Republicans to overturn the gay marriage law. He also said Lynch must work with Republicans to create a balanced state budget.
“We have a huge Republican majority in both houses of the Legislature, led by fairly intelligent individuals,” Horrigan said in an e-mail. “Speaker Bill O’Brien and Senate President Peter Bragdon own the budget now. Lynch can help them fix that budget in ways which were infeasible when we had a narrow Democratic majority.” 
Leonard said Lynch should strive to balance the next budget by dramatically reducing spending. Another priority for the governor, he said, should be working with the Legislature to improve the state’s business climate.
But Read believes Lynch has already taken steps to strengthen New Hampshire’s economy and create jobs. He’s also helped decrease the state’s high school dropout rate by 50 percent.
“Our unemployment rate is 40 percent below the national average, we rank second in the nation in job creation, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks New Hampshire as the best state in the country in which to raise children,” he said.
While Leonard and other Republicans promote significant spending cuts, Read said the governor must guard against cuts that harm the state.
“With the Republican-controlled legislature likely to attempt to make substantial cuts in the next state budget, the governor’s biggest challenge in the next two years will be to do the best he can to ensure that the new budget doesn’t adversely impact the health and welfare of the state’s citizens and businesses,” he said.

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