The 2004 gubernatorial race was John Lynch's first foray into electoral politics. He defeated Republican incumbent Gov. Craig Benson with 51 percent of the vote. Lynch defeated Democrat Paul McEachern in the September 2004 primary.

In 2006, Lynch beat state Rep. Jim Coburn with 74 percent of the vote. In 2008, he beat Republican state Senator Joseph Kennedy with 70 percent of the vote.

(Last updated by Norma Love on April 30, 2009.)

Judd Gregg was elected to the Senate seat vacated by Republican Warren Rudman in 1992 with 48 percent of the vote. He beat Democrat John Rauh, Libertarian Katherine Alexander and independent Larry Brady. Gregg was re-elected in 1998, defeating Democrat George Condodemetraky with 68 percent of the vote.

In 2004, he was re-elected with 66 percent of the vote, defeating Doris "Granny D" Haddock, a poorly funded campaign-finance reform advocate.

Before his election to the U.S. Senate, he was elected to the state's five-member Executive Council in 1978. In 1980, he ran for the 2nd Congressional District seat when Republican James Cleveland retired. Gregg won with 64 percent of the vote and was re-elected three times with vote totals of 71, 74 and 76 percent.

In 1988, he beat Democrat Paul McEachern with 60 percent of the vote to become governor — a post his father, Hugh Gregg, held from 1953 to 1955.

(Last updated by Sam Hananel on May 8, 2009.)

Jeanne Shaheen ousted incumbent John Sununu in 2008, taking 52 percent of the vote to Sununu's 45 percent.

The successful campaign was the second general election match-up between Shaheen and incumbent Sununu.

Before her unsuccessfully campaign for the U.S. Senate seat in 2002, Shaheen served three terms as the first female governor of New Hampshire. Before being elected governor in 1996, she spent six years in the state Senate.

(Last updated by Sam Hananel on May 8, 2009.)