Governor Chris Sununu says he will nominate Gordon MacDonald to serve as the next chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court.
MacDonald, 57, has served 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.
