Republican ex-Sen. Kelly Ayotte beats Democrat Joyce Craig in New Hampshire governor’s race

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte was elected governor of New Hampshire on Tuesday, defeating Democratic former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig to keep the office under Republican control for another two years.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s decision not to seek a fifth two-year term set up on one of the most competitive gubernatorial races in the country, with voters choosing between one candidate trying to jump from local to statewide office and another seeking to bring federal experience to the Statehouse. With the win, Ayotte became the third woman elected governor of New Hampshire, following Democrats Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, both of whom are now in the Senate.

It was a narrow loss to Hassan in 2016 that ended Ayotte’s tenure in Washington after one term. Before that, Ayotte spent five years as the state’s attorney general, and she often highlighted her past as a prosecutor during her campaign.

Addressing supporters in Salem, Ayotte called her win “a victory for an even brighter future for the greatest state in the nation.”

“I could not be more optimistic about the future of our state,” she said. “I love this state, I love the people of this state, and I know that our best days are ahead of us.”

Endorsed by Sununu ahead of September’s GOP primary, Ayotte promised to continue his anti-tax, pro-business economic policies. She thanked Sununu on Tuesday night but said she won’t be content to rest on his successes and would work hard to tackle the state’s housing crisis, strengthen its mental health system and improve education.

During the campaign, Ayotte used a “Don’t Mass it up” slogan to rail against more liberal Massachusetts to the south while accusing Craig of supporting tax hikes and blaming her for crime, homelessness and drug overdose deaths in the state’s most populous city.

“If you’re a retiree or you’re saving for retirement, she’s already said in this campaign she’s going to increase your taxes,” Ayotte said during a recent debate, referring to Craig’s support for reinstating a tax on interest and dividends. “If she’s willing in a contested campaign to talk about increasing your taxes, imagine what she’s going to do when she’s governor.”

Craig, who served on the Manchester school board and board of aldermen before being elected as the city’s first female mayor in 2017, emphasized her executive experience. She said it prepared her to tackle the state’s housing crisis, strengthen public schools and expand access to reproductive health care.

She was particularly critical of Ayotte on the latter issue, pointing to Ayotte’s Senate votes to defund Planned Parenthood and eliminate mandated insurance coverage for birth control. Though Ayotte has said she would veto any bill further restricting abortion, she supported a 20-week ban as a senator. Craig portrayed her as “the most extreme threat to reproductive freedoms our state has ever seen” and out of touch with the state and local communities.

“Sen. Ayotte has spent her entire career attacking reproductive freedom,” Craig said during a debate last week. “Her actions speak louder than her words, and we cannot trust her.”

New Hampshire law prohibits abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy except when the mother’s health or life is in danger or there is a fatal fetal anomaly

While Ayotte enjoyed stronger name recognition and fundraising, Craig benefited from a more unified party energized by Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket. In contrast, Republicans are more fractured, and Ayotte has a rocky history with former President Donald Trump. She rescinded her support for him in 2016 over his lewd comments about women but now backs him again, saying his record was better than the Biden administration’s.

On Tuesday, she made a point to address those who didn’t vote for her.

“I want you to know that I will be the governor for all the people of New Hampshire,” she said. Please know this, even if there are times where we don’t see eye to eye, I will always look for ways for us to come together, to work together on a bipartisan basis to tackle the challenges facing this state.”