Chris Sununu for Governor?

Just as Maggie Hassan has settled in after winning the governor's office in November, she already has a potential opponent in 2014.

Chris Sununu, a Republican executive councilor from one of the state's most recognizable political families, confirmed he's exploring a run for governor.

"I know I'd be very good at it and I know I'd win," said Sununu, 38.

He's in the middle of his second term representing District 3 on the five-member Executive Council. The district covers about two dozen communities, including Exeter, Hampton, and Portsmouth.

The Executive Council works with the governor and approves big-ticket contracts and department nominations, among other duties.

Sununu said he's a long way away from making a decision on running for the corner office.

"My focus right now is on the Executive Council," said Sununu, whose father, John H., is a former governor and served as head of the state Republican Party. Sununu's brother, John E., served as a U.S. Senator.

Sununu lives in Newfields. Hassan is from Exeter. The two towns border each other.

Sununu runs the Waterville Valley ski resort. For a decade he worked as an environmental engineer designing systems to clean up hazardous waste sites across the country. Read his biography here.

Sununu said he currently doesn't have a specific agenda he would focus on if he ran for governor.

Talking about his general philosophy, he said, "It all comes down to low taxes and local control. Those are the fundamentals that New Hampshire runs on."