NH Governor
Incumbent Gov. John Lynch (D) retains his seat for a historic fourth consecutive term as N.H. Governor.
 John Babiarz (L)Grafton Self-employed; Chief of Volunteer Fire Department |  John Lynch (D)Hopkinton N.H. Governor 2005-present |  John Stephen (R)Manchester former Asst. County Attorney, Asst. Attorney General, Asst. Commissioner of the Dept. of Safety; Commissioner of N.H. Dept. of Health and Human Services, 2003-2007 |
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| State Budget | “It is unsustainable to use accounting gimmicks and one-time spending to balance the budget.” Babiarz strongly opposes any new taxes or fee increases. He cites fire towers and state park maintenance as antiquated systems and potential areas for budget cuts. “Moving the state toward high efficiency is key to reducing spending.” | Lynch promises to veto any sales or income tax. He approached the 2010 budget shortfall with spending cuts, debt restructuring, federal revenues, and various tax/fee increases, asking all departments to project a 5 percent decrease in next year’s budget. He pledges to trim Health & Human Services costs through administrative efficiencies while maintaining core services. He prioritizes cutting spending over raising revenue. | Stephen opposes broad-based taxes, tax and fee hikes, and increases in state revenue. He would balance future budgets by cutting spending and reducing the size of state government rather than raising new revenues. He has proposed a 10 percent across-the-board cut to all departments to prompt cost-saving innovations. |
| Gambling | “I am indifferent to gambling in NH.” Babiarz believes the question of gambling is best decided by a direct popular vote and each community should vote on what is permitted in their communities. He opposes bills that favor any locations or facilities over others. | To date, Lynch has opposed expanded gambling due to lack of infrastructure for oversight, possibility of further expansion, and potential negative impacts on “quality of life.” He will not support “any bill that would issue gaming licenses before New Hampshire had developed an appropriate regulatory structure.” | “Every time you put gambling on the table, you take your eye off spending. I am opposed to any discussion at all until we balance the budget. Once we do, I will give it a fair hearing and process.” |
| Education Funding | Babiarz believes education should be locally funded and controlled without state or federal involvement. “Strings attached to aid reduce local control and lead to ‘factory based’ education.” He supports vouchers as an interim step to property tax credits to pay for a school of choice. | Lynch supports the current school-funding formula and accountability system. His primary goals in funding education are sustainable costs and directing aid to communities in need. “We must prevent abrupt large drops in aid to some communities, and we must not return to the divisive system of donor towns.” He does not support a school voucher program. | Stephen supports a constitutional amendment to “get the judges out of setting educational policy.” He believes the state Legislature should direct aid to communities in need and believes that can be done without a statewide property tax or “donor towns.” He wants to “break down barriers … for home schools, charter schools and other forward thinking educational environments.” |
| Death Penalty | Babiarz opposes the death penalty “because the government always makes mistakes and innocent people will be executed.” | “I believe some crimes are so heinous that the death penalty is the only appropriate penalty. I will veto any effort to repeal our death penalty.” | Stephen supports expanding the death penalty to cases of murder committed during a home invasion. |
| Medical Marijuana | Babiarz “most definitely” supports the legalization of medicinal marijuana. He also supports legalization for recreational use. | Lynch is “open to allowing tightly controlled usage of marijuana for appropriate medical purposes.” He vetoed HB 648 to that effect in 2009 due to enforcement concerns. He opposes legalization of marijuana for recreational use. | Stephen opposes the legalization of marijuana for medicinal or recreational use. |
| Same-Sex Marriage | Babiarz supports equal marriage rights for same-sex and heterosexual couples, although he fundamentally does not believe the state “should have any role in the marriage process.” | Lynch signed same-sex marriage into law in 2009 and does not support its repeal. | Repealing gay marriage is not a top priority for Stephen, but he would sign such a repeal. “I have always believed that marriage should be between one man and one woman.” |
| Abortion | Babiarz does not believe government should play any role in a woman’s choice. However, he believes that even laws he disagrees with should be applied consistently, and this includes parental notification for abortion as a medical procedure. | “I support a woman’s right to choose.” Lynch signed into law the bill repealing parental notification requirements for minors. | Stephen has pledged to work to restore parental notification requirements for minors. |
| Who are your heroes? What inspires your work? | “My father, who taught me the values of hard work, responsibility and honor; and Samuel Adams, who had the guts to preach independence when no English colony had ever successfully challenged the crown.” | “One of my heroes is a young woman named Samantha ‘Sammy’ Rotman, who I met through the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth. She battled bone cancer for two years. But through it all she showed an extraordinary sense of humor and courage. She died at the age of 9, but I will never forget the humor, grace and dignity with which she faced her disease.” | As young boy, according to Stephen’s website, his Democrat father took him along on occasional visits to the Republican Gov. Mel Thomson, who Stephens still remembers for his adage “Low Taxes are the Result of Low Spending.” This early exposure to cordial cross-party relations and later watching his father in the N.H. Senate “would provide early inspiration for John.” |
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