N.H.: Shaheen Takes Governor's Chair

CONCORD, N.H. (AllPolitics, Nov. 5) -- Democrat Jeanne Shaheen will be New Hampshire's first female governor, CNN projects. The state representative will become only the second Democratic governor in the state in the past 28 years, beating out State Board of Education chairman Ovide Lamontagne and two others in one of the nation's most closely watched state house races.

The Granite State has not elected a Democratic governor since 1980, and Shaheen is poised to become only the state's fifth in this century. Drawing on her experience running Jimmy Carter's successful campaign in the 1980 New Hampshire Democratic primary against Sen. Edward Kennedy, Shaheen's drew two out of every three votes from women, and nearly half the male vote.

Despite Lamontagne's position with the state Board of Education, nearly 90 percent of voters who said education was their chief concern chose Shaheen, who criticized her opponents job performance. Lamontagne had refused to allow New Hampshire to accept federal Goals 2000 money, and would not intervene when a local school board considered teaching creationism.

Shaheen backed proposals for a statewide kindergarten and for putting a computer in every classroom in the state.

Voters concerned with Medicare and jobs or the economy voted for Shaheen in large numbers, and more independents fell her way than to her Republican opponent. Lamontagne had cast himself as a fiscal conservative in the mold of popular Republican Gov. Steve Merrill, who did not seek re-election.

Two out of three voters who said that taxes were their top concern cast their ballots for Lamontagne, apparently responding to the Republican message that Shaheen was not sincere in her vow to veto any broad-based tax.

Shaheen and Lamontagne were also opposed by Libertarian Robert Kingbury and independent Fred Bramante.

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