DURHAM, NH - Governor John Lynch continues to hold a solid lead over his Republican challenger John Stephen. Lynch's job approval ratings continue to be high. Concerns about state's economy and the state budget remain the top problems on the minds of New Hampshire residents.

These findings are based on the latest WMUR Granite State Poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center. Five hundred fifteen (515) randomly selected New Hampshire adults were interviewed by telephone between Sept. 23 and Sept. 29, 2010. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 4.3 percent. Included was a subsample of 472 likely 2010 general election voters (margin of sampling error +/-4.5 percent).

Despite ongoing concerns about the state economy and the state budget, Granite Staters generally approve of the job John Lynch is doing as governor. In the most recent Granite State Poll, 58 percent of NH adults say they approve of the way he is handling his job as governor, 28 percent disapprove, and 14 percent are neutral or don't know. Despite a much more vigorous campaign by his Republican challenger, Lynch's job approval ratings have held steady for much of the past year. Lynch has maintained the support of Democrats (80 percent approve) and Independents (56 percent). His support from Republicans continues to be surprisingly high in an election year, currently 37 percent of Republicans approve of the job he is doing as governor.

For complete news release and detailed tabular results, please
click: http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/news/pdf/gsp2010_fall_govapp100110.pdf

The UNH Survey Center has conducted survey research projects at the University of New Hampshire since 1976. The center has grown rapidly during the past 30 years and now conducts approximately 40 to 50 major survey projects each year. More information: http://www.unh.edu/survey-center/.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling more than 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.

PHOTO
Andrew Smith, director of the UNH Survey Center.
/unhtoday/sites/default/files/newsroom/img/Andy_Smith.jpg

-30-