Lynch Will Appoint Newman To Finish Gregg's Senate Term

Bonnie Newman is a businesswoman and academic administrator who calls herself a "sensible Republican."

The 63 year old worked in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, but has never held elective office.

Governor John Lynch and Senator-designate Bonnie Newman walk into the Executive Council chambers. (Dan Ankeles, NHPR)

John Lynch said appointing Newman allows the Senate to retain its partisan balance, a precondition Judd Gregg set for joining the Obama Administration.

Bonnie Newman promised to serve until Gregg's term expires in 2010 and not seek reelection.

She said she was humbled at the prospect of becoming a senator.

"It is surreal... I keep trying to come up with the right words, and my vocabulary fails me. This is an American dream beyond anything that I could've imagined."

Newman's long been close to both Judd Gregg and John Lynch, serving as Gregg's chief of staff when he was a congressman in the early 1980's, and prominently endorsing Lynch during the governor's 2004 upset win over GOP incumbent Craig Benson.