It’s one of the most competitive races for governor in America, and no one is taking about it.

If a swing-state governor doesn’t run for reelection, the contest is nearly always a jump ball, and especially so in New Hampshire. The Granite State is one of the most competitive in the country on the congressional, statewide, and national levels.

Locally the stakes are high: Whoever gets elected will decide whether to continue to expand Medicaid, repeal the death penalty, or even legalize marijuana. In addition, the next governor of New Hampshire could be one of the most important voices in the 2020 presidential race and might have a fast track to the US Senate that same year.

But there are a few reasons why this race has flown under the radar. Of the seven candidates running, none are particularly well known, so the field is undefined. Other than bipartisan agreement that an opioid crisis is the state’s top problem, there are no issues driving the debate. And with the state’s primary just four months out, there isn’t a clear front-runner for either party.

And that’s why the New Hampshire governor’s race has been largely forgotten.

“I am just hoping that someday people will suddenly wake up and realize that there is an important decision here,’’ said Jay Ward, the political director for the state chapter of the SEIU, the union that represents state employees. “To [the union] this is the most important election in 2016, but I don’t think that most people in the state get it at all.’’

Consider a recent segment on the state’s most prominent Sunday political television show. Guests discussed the presidential race, the state’s high-profile US Senate contest, and two US congressional races (one of which features lawsuits and an incumbent with only 4 percent definite support in a recent poll).

At the very end of the show, host WMUR political director Josh McElveen declared the state’s gubernatorial race “could be the most interesting, but no one is talking about it.’’

There are four Republican candidates and three Democrats vying to be nominated in the Sept. 13 primary. A recent University of New Hampshire poll showed that Republican Executive Councilor Chris Sununu (a brother of a former US senator and a son of a former governor and White House chief of staff) had the highest name recognition at 60 percent. The next highest was Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas, also a Republican, with 50 percent. The other candidates, including the entire Democratic field, were essentially unknown by 90 percent of voters.

“The race has been in the back seat in terms of state politics,’’ said UNH political science professor Dante Scala. The race “got hit by something of a double whopper. There was the state’s presidential primary that dominated attention, and after that it was the state’s US Senate race. Now as their campaigns are starting to get going, the summer is coming and it is hard to get anyone to pay attention then.’’

Of the 12 races for governor around the country this November, there are four that Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan newsletter on elections, classifies as the most competitive: Missouri, North Carolina, West Virginia, and New Hampshire.

Missouri’s race captured attention early when one candidate committed suicide. North Carolina’s governor is embroiled in a national controversy over signing a bill related to transgender individuals using bathrooms. West Virginia’s race features a flamboyant personality who also happens to be richest person in the state.

“New Hampshire, while competitive, has had a lot less caché than people thought it would have nationally,’’ Duffy said.

New Hampshire-based Republican consultant Mike Biundo said that while other local races are getting all the attention, many activists in the state are still going through “presidential primary hangover.’’

“All these candidates can do right now is build up their internal organization and raise money because no one is paying any attention,’’ said Biundo, who is not involved in the gubernatorial race. “This is the definition of a long slog.’’

Indeed Biundo, Scala, and others expect a race that may not take shape until the last two weeks before the primary.

“I think it could be a really great general election though,’’ said Duffy.

James Pindell can be reached at james.pindell@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jamespindell or subscribe to his daily e-mail update on the 2016 campaign at bostonglobe.com/groundgame.