| Election Name: | 1996 New Hampshire gubernatorial election |
| Country: | New Hampshire |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1994 New Hampshire gubernatorial election |
| Previous Year: | 1994 |
| Next Election: | 1998 New Hampshire gubernatorial election |
| Next Year: | 1998 |
| Election Date: | November 5, 1996 |
| Image1: | File:JeanneShaheen.JPG |
| Nominee1: | Jeanne Shaheen |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 284,175 |
| Percentage1: | 57.2% |
| Nominee2: | Ovide Lamontagne |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 196,321 |
| Percentage2: | 39.5% |
| Governor | |
| Before Election: | Steve Merrill |
| Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Jeanne Shaheen |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 1996 New Hampshire gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1996. State Senator Jeanne Shaheen won the election,[1] marking the first time since 1980 that a Democrat was elected Governor of New Hampshire.[2] She defeated Ovide Lamontagne, who had defeated representative Bill Zeliff for the Republican nomination.