Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

Governor to Nominate AG MacDonald for Supreme Court Chief Justice

Jack Rodolico / NHPR
Gordon MacDonald, during his public hearing to be N.H. Attorney General.

Governor Chris Sununu says he will nominate Gordon MacDonald to serve as the next chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

MacDonald, 57, hasserved as the state’s Attorney General since April 2017. He was previously in private practice at the Nixon Peabody law firm.

“During his time as Attorney General, Gordon’s leadership skills, along with his independence, have been on full display,” said Sununu in a statement. “Gordon has never been afraid to follow the path or take the action that he believes is right, even when that course may not be the easiest and even when some, including myself, may disagree with him.”

If confirmed by the Executive Council, MacDonald will succeed Chief Justice Robert Lynn, who will hit the mandatory retirement age of 70 this August. Sununu will formally announce MacDonald’s nomination at Wednesday’s executive council meeting.

MacDonald is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Cornell Law School.

He served as chief of staff for former U.S. Senator Gordon Humphrey, and more recently chaired the Supreme Court’s Commission on the New Hampshire Bar in the 21st Century.

This is Sununu’s third nomination to the state’s highest court. Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi and Patrick Donovan were previously confirmed.

Todd started as a news correspondent with NHPR in 2009. He spent nearly a decade in the non-profit world, working with international development agencies and anti-poverty groups. He holds a master’s degree in public administration from Columbia University.
Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.