2024 Honoree Governor Chris Sununu (NH)
Christopher T. Sununu is the 82nd Governor of the State of New Hampshire and is currently serving his fourth term, receiving in 2020 more votes ever than any candidate in state history.
With Governor Sununu’s leadership, New Hampshire is ranked the #1 state in the country for personal freedoms by Cato Institute.
Named the nation’s most fiscally responsible governor by Cato Institute, Governor Sununu has delivered three balanced state budgets with no new taxes. In fact, his third budget:
- Cuts and phases out the Interest & Dividends Tax for retirees,
- Provides tax relief to employers and small businesses,
- Reduces property taxes by $100 million,
- Delivers voluntary paid family medical leave,
- Spends more money per pupil for public education than ever before.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Sununu took unprecedented action to balance the health and safety of Granite Staters with keeping the state’s economy strong. New Hampshire always ranked among the safest states for Covid. Today, the Granite State is the fastest growing state in the Northeast, has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, and the lowest child poverty rate of any state in America.
Early in his tenure Governor Sununu created The Doorway and the Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative, both of which have become national models for prevention, treatment and recovery from substance use disorder and are consistently improving results for the citizens of New Hampshire. According to the CDC, New Hampshire in 2021 was one of just four states to reduce drug overdose deaths.
Chris grew up in Salem, NH. He graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) with a BS in Civil/Environmental Engineering. As an environmental engineer, Chris worked for ten years cleaning up hazardous waste sites across the country.
In 1998, Chris completed a five-month through-hike of the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia.
Governor Sununu lives in Newfields with his wife, Valerie, and their three children.