John H. Lynch (born November 25, 1952, Waltham, Massachusetts) is the current Governor of New Hampshire.
He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire in 1974, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
Prior to his election, Lynch's career included work as Director of Admissions at Harvard Business School, CEO of Knoll Inc., a national furniture manufacturer, and president of The Lynch Group, a business consulting firm in Manchester, New Hampshire. Lynch was serving as Chairman of the University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees when he announced he would run for governor.
He and his wife, Dr. Susan Lynch, live in Hopkinton, New Hampshire. They have three children, Jacqueline, Julia and Hayden. Jacqueline, the eldest, currently attends Bucknell University. Julia currently attends Wheaton College in Massachusettes.
A businessman and Democratic Party politician, Lynch was elected on November 2, 2004, defeating Republican incumbent Craig Benson by a narrow margin. Lynch was the first challenger to defeat a one-term incumbent in New Hampshire in 78 years. He was sworn in on January 6, 2005. As Governor, he is a member of both the National Governors Association and the Democratic Governors Association.
In a Survey USA Governor's Ratings poll released on December 20, 2005, Lynch was ranked as the most popular of all Democratic incumbents, with 69% approval versus 21% disapproval. As of February, 2008, he has an approval rating of 73%, one of the highest such ratings in the country. . As of June 20, 2008 his approval rating is 57% good or excellent and 11% poor.
In April 2006, Lynch was awarded the National Chairman of Volunteers Award for Volunteer Excellence by the American Red Cross, mainly due to his leadership during the 2005 floods.
Lynch was elected to a second two year term in a 74-26 landslide over Republican Jim Coburn. Lynch's coattails helped Democrats take over both houses of the State Legislature, and upset incumbent Congressmen Charlie Bass and Jeb Bradley. Lynch's 74 percent of the vote was the largest margin of victory ever in a New Hampshire gubernatorial race. Lynch's poll numbers also improved following his successful reelection. His approval rating rose to 79% in November and his disapproval rating dropped to 17%. This makes him the second most popular governor in the nation behind John Hoeven
