James B. Coburn (born 1944 in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, United States) is an American entrepreneur, former New Hampshire state representative, and the 2006

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

nominee for

Governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Verm ...

. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, but moved to

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

when he was seven years old to live with his grandmother after his mother died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

Background

Coburn graduated from

Pinkerton Academy Pinkerton Academy is a secondary school in Derry, New Hampshire, United States. It serves roughly 3,269 students, making it by far the largest high school in New Hampshire, more than 1,300 students greater than the next largest high school. Pi ...

Derry, New Hampshire Derry is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 34,317 at the 2020 census. Although it is a town and not a city, Derry is the most populous community in Rockingham County and the fourth most populous in the ...

, and worked in a shoe factory before joining the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

. He was stationed in

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

, serving as the crew chief of a special weapons maintenance team. It was there that he met his wife, Christa. Settling in Chester with his wife, after leaving the service, he worked for

Digital Equipment Corporation Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC ), using the trademark Digital, was a major American company in the computer industry from the 1960s to the 1990s. The company was co-founded by Ken Olsen and Harlan Anderson in 1957. Olsen was president unt ...

for 21 years. In 1994, he and a partner left Digital to start Valco Data Systems, which makes software to archive medical records. Coburn's wife died in 2004 after a lengthy battle with

multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...

. When she was diagnosed, he promised her that he would not put her in a nursing home or let her become bedridden. He also promised he would not enter politics as long as she lived. He has said her experience has helped make health-care reform one of his top political priorities.

Political career

New Hampshire House of Representatives (2004-2006)

Soon after his wife's death, Coburn sold his share of Valco to his partner and entered politics. He won a seat in the

New Hampshire House of Representatives The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court, the bicameral legislature of the state of New Hampshire. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 204 legislative district ...

in 2004 representing Windham. His voting record as a state representative has reflected a conservative position on taxes, abortion and opposition to gay marriage.

Running for Governor (2006)

In March, 2006, he hired the

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

firm Meridian Communications to handle his upcoming gubernatorial campaign, and on June 14, 2006, filed his candidacy for governor at the statehouse in

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

. He is a member of the

National Rifle Association The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...

, Gun Owners of New Hampshire, Pelham Fish & Game Club, and the

New Hampshire Historical Society The New Hampshire Historical Society is an independent nonprofit in Concord that saves, preserves, and shares New Hampshire history. Introduction The New Hampshire Historical Society was founded in 1823. The society has an extensive collection o ...

. On May 30, 2006, in the ''

Concord Monitor The ''Concord Monitor'' is the daily newspaper for Concord, the state capital of New Hampshire. It also covers surrounding towns in Merrimack County, most of Belknap County, as well as portions of Grafton, Rockingham and Hillsborough counti ...

'', he stated his support for a gas tax as part of a comprehensive State energy plan promoting diesel and other, more efficient, fuel sources for motor vehicles Edited for accuracy and completeness. Coburn was an underdog against Democratic incumbent, John Lynch, who in 2006 one of the most popular governors in the country. Results of the 2006 New Hampshire elections showed Lynch defeating Coburn by a landslide. Coburn has two children and three grandchildren. There was some speculation that Coburn might seek the Republican nomination for

New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district covers the western, northern, and some southern parts of New Hampshire. It includes the state's second-largest city, Nashua, as well as the state capital, Concord. It is currently represented in the Unit ...

to challenge incumbent

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Paul Hodes Paul William Hodes (born March 21, 1951) is an American lawyer, musician, and former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party, and was New Hampshire's first Jewish representative. Hodes was an u ...

, but he did not, eventually endorsing Jennifer Horn for the position.Jennifer Horn announces endorsement
.

References

External links

Coburn: Businessman Turned Politician
''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'', June 11, 2006; by Norma Love.
Coburn Makes Gubernatorial Run Official
''

New Hampshire Union Leader The ''New Hampshire Union Leader'' is a daily newspaper from Manchester, the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. On Sundays, it publishes as the ''New Hampshire Sunday News.'' Founded in 1863, the paper was best known for the conse ...

'', June 14, 2006; by Tom Fahey.
For Jim Coburn, governor's race is all according to plan
''New Hampshire Union Leader'' column, May 24, 2006; by Fergus Cullen.
Coburn for Governor Campaign website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coburn, Jim 1944 births Living people American computer businesspeople Businesspeople from Portland, Oregon Candidates in the 2006 United States elections Digital Equipment Corporation people Republican Party members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Pinkerton Academy alumni Politicians from Boston United States Air Force airmen