(CONCORD, NH) New Hampshire Governor John Lynch gets a B on the Cato Institute’s latest Fiscal Policy Report. Lynch got the top score of any Democratic Governor in the nation, despite letting the budget that earned such high marks pass into law without his signature last year.

The free market Cato Institute grades the nation’s 50 Governors on how much money they spend per capita, as well as their proposed spending and tax increases.

Lynch oversaw a substantial increase in spending his first few years in office, but spending has been cut in recent years. For the latest biennium budget, the New Hampshire legislature made large spending cuts, which had the effect of boosting Lynch’s score on this report card. State spending in the current biennium is expected to be down about 10 percent from the last biennium.

Lynch’s grades in the biennial Cato report fluctuate along with the party controlling the Legislature. Lynch earned a B in his first term when Republicans held majorities in the House and Senate. He received Ds in 2008 and 2010 following two Democratic budgets that greatly increased state spending.

READ THE FULL CATO FISCAL POLICY REPORT CARD