Chris Sununu
2017 - Present
2025
7
Chris Sununu (Republican Party) is the Governor of New Hampshire. He assumed office on January 5, 2017. His current term ends on January 2, 2025.
Sununu (Republican Party) ran for re-election for Governor of New Hampshire. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Sununu's 2022 re-election made him the second New Hampshire governor since 1900 elected to four consecutive two-year terms.[1] He announced in July 2023 that he would not run for re-election.[2] In that announcement, he said that his administration's accomplishments included the lowest unemployment in state history, more tax cuts than any other administration, investments in housing, mental healthcare, and addiction and recovery systems, and support for school choice and firearm access.[3]
Before he was elected governor, Sununu served three terms on the New Hampshire Executive Council from 2011 to 2017.[4] He had previously worked as an environmental engineer, a business consultant, and as chief executive officer of the Waterville Valley Ski Resort.[5][6] Sununu is the son of former Gov. John H. Sununu and brother of former Sen. John E. Sununu.
Sununu described his political philosophy in his 2023 inaugural address, saying, "It's not right to tell a private business what they can or cannot do. It's not the New Hampshire way to force locally elected – and accountable – school districts or town councils to bend to your will. That's not leadership, that's not conservative, and it is certainly not freedom. [...] Leadership is about knowing the limitations of your own power, getting government out of the way, and empowering individuals and families to make the best decisions for their families or businesses."[7]
New Hampshire held two competitive Republican presidential primaries in the years Sununu was running for or serving as governor. In 2016, Sununu endorsed Donald Trump (R) in the general election.[8] In 2020, while Trump was running for re-election, Sununu did not endorse a candidate. Sununu endorsed Nikki Haley (R) in the 2024 Republican primary.[9]
Biography
Sununu grew up in Salem, New Hampshire, and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Chris Sununu was first elected to the New Hampshire Executive Council in 2010, and he served three terms. Sununu worked for 10 years as an environmental engineer and was also the CEO of the Waterville Valley Ski Resort.[5]
Political career
Governor of New Hampshire (2017-present)
Sununu was elected governor of New Hampshire on November 8, 2016, and was sworn into office on January 5, 2017.[4]
New Hampshire Executive Council (2011-2017)
Sununu was first elected to the New Hampshire Executive Council in 2010. He was re-elected in 2012 and 2014. Sununu did not seek re-election in 2016.
Elections
2024
In July 2023, Sununu announced that he would not seek re-election as Governor of New Hampshire.[2]
2022
See also: New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2022
General election
General election for Governor of New Hampshire
Incumbent Chris Sununu defeated Tom Sherman, Kelly Halldorson, and Karlyn Borysenko in the general election for Governor of New Hampshire on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Chris Sununu (R) | 57.0 | 352,813 |
 | Tom Sherman (D) | 41.5 | 256,766 | |
 | Kelly Halldorson (L) | 0.8 | 5,071 | |
 | Karlyn Borysenko (L) | 0.4 | 2,772 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 1,713 | ||
| Total votes: 619,135 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire
Tom Sherman advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire on September 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Sherman | 97.1 | 83,205 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 2.9 | 2,503 | ||
| Total votes: 85,708 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of New Hampshire
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of New Hampshire on September 13, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Sununu | 78.5 | 113,443 |
 | Karen Testerman | 10.0 | 14,473 | |
 | Thaddeus Riley | 7.7 | 11,107 | |
 | Julian Acciard | 2.0 | 2,906 | |
 | Jay Lewis | 0.9 | 1,318 | |
| Richard McMenamon II | 0.6 | 817 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 374 | ||
| Total votes: 144,438 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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2020
See also: New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2020
New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2020 (September 8 Republican primary)
New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2020 (September 8 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for Governor of New Hampshire
Incumbent Chris Sununu defeated Dan Feltes and Darryl Perry in the general election for Governor of New Hampshire on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Sununu (R) | 65.1 | 516,609 |
 | Dan Feltes (D) | 33.4 | 264,639 | |
 | Darryl Perry (L) | 1.4 | 11,329 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 683 | ||
| Total votes: 793,260 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire
Dan Feltes defeated Andru Volinsky in the Democratic primary for Governor of New Hampshire on September 8, 2020.
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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of New Hampshire
Incumbent Chris Sununu defeated Karen Testerman and Nobody in the Republican primary for Governor of New Hampshire on September 8, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Sununu | 89.8 | 130,703 |
| Karen Testerman | 9.3 | 13,589 | |
 | Nobody | 0.9 | 1,239 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 95 | ||
| Total votes: 145,626 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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2018
- See also: New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2018
- See also: New Hampshire gubernatorial election, 2018 (September 11 Republican primary)
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. | ||||
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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. | ||||
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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. | ||||
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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. | ||||
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2016
| Click [show] to read a summary of the results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
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 | ||||
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 | ||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Chris Sununu did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Chris Sununu did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Campaign website
The following were found on Sununu's campaign website.
| “ |
Chris' Record ✔ Property tax relief by returning $65 million to cities and towns for roads, bridges, and safer schools ✔ Greater health care choices for veterans ✔ Job creating business tax cuts ✔ Stopped toll increases ✔ Increased funding to provide better care for seniors ✔ Established full day kindergarten ✔ Fully funded the Alcohol Fund to fight substance use disorder, created the only youth drug treatment center in NH, and kick-started recovery friendly workplaces ✔ $275 million invested in clean water projects ✔ $5 million in higher education scholarships ✔ Eliminated over 1600 burdensome government regulations Economy ✔ Networked hundreds of out-of-state businesses to relocate to New Hampshire ✔ Eliminated over 1,600 burdensome government regulations ✔ Lowered the Business Profits and Enterprise taxes ✔ Created the Department of Business and Economic Affairs ✔ One of the lowest unemployment rates in the country Education ✔ $5 million in higher education scholarships ✔ Greater school choice for New Hampshire families ✔ Established the New Hampshire Robotics Education Fund to prepare students for work in the 21st century Infrustructure ✔ Returned $30 million for school infrastructure and security upgrades ✔ Dedicated $35 million to reduce water contamination Safety ✔ Increased funding for treatment and recovery services by $7 million ✔ Added 60 new beds for community mental health treatment options ✔ Established a $4.5 million drug interdiction program to disrupt supply chains ✔ Added 20 new DCYF case workers across the state[11] |
” |
| —Chris Sununu's 2018 campaign website[12] | ||
2016
Campaign website
Sununu included the following positions on his campaign website:
| “ |
PROMOTE PRO-GROWTH BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Chris Sununu believes a strong New Hampshire economy is built on a pro-growth business environment, free of repressive regulations and onerous taxes. High business taxes, increasing healthcare costs and record-high energy costs are crippling our economic growth and limiting job creation in New Hampshire. As governor, Chris Sununu will reverse nearly twenty years of harmful policy that has eroded our competitiveness and halted job creation. Creating a Business-Friendly Climate: Once dynamic in its ability to attract skilled and high-paying jobs from across the region, New Hampshire’s economy has stagnated over the past decade. With an absence of leadership in the Governor’s Office, too many barriers to new business exist to put the state back on a sustainable growth path. As governor, Chris Sununu will work to reduce the burden of some of the highest corporate taxes in the nation, simplify complicated regulation and end costly government mandates. Only then will New Hampshire reinvigorate its business climate and restore the state’s economic prominence across the Northeast.
Reduce Healthcare Costs: Healthcare costs in New Hampshire are among the highest in the nation and are a deterrent to hiring and business growth. As governor, Chris Sununu will support the repeal and replacement of Obamacare and push for alternatives such as allowing insurers to sell policies across state lines, reducing unnecessary mandates that drive up costs, and providing price transparency that allows consumers to make cost-effective decisions when choosing their providers. To drive down costs, we must increase competition in New Hampshire’s healthcare market and encourage convenient independent providers to grow. Right to Work: Businesses across the country are moving to Right to Work states, which provides critical flexibility for employers and allows employees to privately make the best choices for themselves. As governor, Chris Sununu will advocate for right-to-work legislation that will help attract new companies to New Hampshire. INVEST IN WORKFORCE READINESS A thriving economy is contingent upon a strong workforce. Poor leadership in the Governor’s Office has done little to implement effective, forward-thinking strategies to both grow and improve New Hampshire’s workforce. With creative incentive programs and new partnerships with stakeholders, investment in workforce readiness will serve as a key piece to a broad-based approach to economic growth in a Sununu administration. Keep NH Graduates In NH: New Hampshire’s college students are graduating with unprecedented debt and in need of high paying jobs. Chris Sununu’s plan will incentivize students to stay in New Hampshire and grow our economy from the inside out.
Promotion and Growth of Community Colleges: Community colleges are the bedrock of new-age higher education. Across the nation, community colleges are providing students an affordable alternative to four-year institutions, readily providing graduates with the skills needed to be successful in a competitive economy.
Incentivize Technical Schools: For years, career and technical institutions in New Hampshire have provided high schools students with advanced vocational skills they can apply to jobs as soon as they graduate. Access to these schools, though, remain limited for students in smaller school districts across the state. We must ensure that students graduating from our high schools have workforce ready skills on day one.
Career Training in Substance Abuse Recovery Programs: Addressing the ongoing drug crisis in New Hampshire requires a holistic approach to recovery. Men and women seeking treatment for substance abuse too often struggle to reintegrate into the workforce.
DEVELOP LONG-TERM ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS Chris Sununu is an environmental engineer. And as CEO of Waterville Valley, he understands the need for long-term solutions to New Hampshire’s most-threatening energy problems. With limited options for baseload supply and overreaching environmental regulations, New Hampshire can no longer afford to continue catering to the special interests with short-sighted and politically-driven energy policy. A Sununu administration will develop relationships with the necessary stakeholders to bring to the state forward-thinking solutions to an unstable energy market to help reduce rates for our citizens. Create Partnerships Between Local Communities and Energy Program Developers: New Hampshire needs a governor who understands the New England energy market. What’s more, New Hampshire needs a governor who understands the sensitivity of implementing energy programs in local communities. Chris Sununu understands exactly that and, as governor, will work closely with local communities to ensure that projects are being done the New Hampshire way - with care, transparency and in a clean manner. Reductions in Energy Rates: The best way to reduce our energy rates is by increasing the availability of baseload power throughout New England. Our limited power supply into the grid is not sustainable and keeps rates too high for manufacturing companies to succeed. All options for increasing power supply must be brought to the table but implemented with New Hampshire’s best interests. PRIORITIZE INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENTS Fix Red-Listed Roads & Bridges Now: New Hampshire has over 2,000 miles of roads and 150 red listed bridges in need of repair. Leadership is about priorities and New Hampshire must be led by a governor who understands where our most critical needs are. Unfortunately, Democratic governors over the past decade have stalled on these important infrastructure needs and instead focused on more politically expedient projects. A Sununu administration will take action immediately to address long-overdue projects. Fiber Connectivity: As governor, Chris Sununu will expand fiber connectivity across the state through support for public-private partnerships, ensuring that New Hampshire does not fall behind competitors in the region and across the country in technological advancements. New business must be assured complete connectivity when competing in a global market.[11] |
” |
| —Chris Sununu's 2016 campaign website[13] | ||
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Ballot measure activity
Ballotpedia is not aware of any personal political advocacy by this officeholder related to ballot measures we track. If you are aware of any, please email us.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Sununu and his wife, Valerie, live in Newfields with their three children. Sununu is the son of former New Hampshire Gov. John H. Sununu and brother of former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu.[5]
See also
2022 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Governor of New Hampshire |
Officeholder Governor of New Hampshire |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ NH.gov, "Governors, New Hampshire Almanac," accessed January 29, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 CNN, "New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu announces he will not seek reelection," accessed July 19, 2023
- ↑ Twitter, "Sununu on July 19, 2023," accessed January 31, 2024
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 WMTW News 8, "GOP's Sununu sworn in as New Hampshire governor," January 5, 2017
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, "About Governor Sununu," accessed May 5, 2021
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Chris Sununu," accessed January 29, 2024
- ↑ New Hampshire Office of the Governor, "Governor Chris Sununu's Inaugural Address," January 5, 2023
- ↑ Governing, "As Others Bail on Trump, New Hampshire Candidate for Governor Stands by Him," October 11, 2016
- ↑ Associated Press, "Haley gets endorsement from Gov. Chris Sununu ahead of pivotal New Hampshire primary," December 12, 2023
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedbio - ↑ 11.0 11.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Chris Sununu's 2018 campaign website, "Chris' Record," archived September 12, 2018
- ↑ Chris Sununu's 2016 campaign website, "Chris Sununu’s Blueprint for Economic Growth in New Hampshire," archived August 27, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Maggie Hassan (D) |
Governor of New Hampshire 2017-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
New Hampshire Executive Council District 3 2011-2017 |
Succeeded by - |
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State of New Hampshire Concord (capital) |
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