The 2004 New Hampshire gubernatorial election occurred on November 2, 2004, concurrent with that year's presidential election.
DemocratJohn 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.