Sununu To Nominate NH AG For Top Seat On State Supreme Court

CONCORD, NH — A new chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court will be nominated on Wednesday. Gordon MacDonald, the attorney general, will be nominated at the Executive Council meeting on June 5, 2019, by Gov. Chris Sununu, R-NH. Current Chief Justice Bob Lynn is slated to retire on Aug. 23.

MacDonald was chosen from a list of finalists recommended by the governor’s bipartisan Judicial Selection Commission.

In a statement, Sununu said MacDonald has served the state "with distinction" as the attorney general during the last two-plus years.

"During his time as Attorney General, Gordon’s leadership skills, along with his independence, have been on full display," Sununu said. "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. Our Department of Justice is stronger than ever due to Gordon’s leadership and independence, and I am confident that, if confirmed, Gordon will use his unparalleled legal talents and fair-minded approach to lead our judicial branch with distinction."

Before serving as the state’s top cop, MacDonald was a partner at Nixon Peabody in Manchester. He graduated from Dartmouth and Cornell Law School.

MacDonald called the nomination "humbling," and added that the court played a vital role in the lives of the residents of New Hampshire.