Former Sen. Kelly Ayotte (RN.H.) is one step closer to a political comeback. He won his party’s primary on Tuesday to set up one of the most competitive gubernatorial races this year.
Ayotte will face Democrat Joyce Craig, most recently the mayor of Manchester, for New Hampshire’s open governor seat in the fall after GOP Gov. Chris Sununu decided not to seek a second term.
Ayotte beat a crowded field that included former state Senate President Chuck Morse, and Craig was defeated by Executive Councilwoman Cinde Warmington after a heated primary.
National groups have already played a significant role in the primaries because there is such a short runway before the elections. Ayotte received support from Sununu, who decided not to run again this year after flirting with the presidency, and the Republican Governors Association, which contributed more than $2 million to his campaign through an advocacy group.
Democrats have also spent heavily, with the Democratic Governors Association pouring about $9 million into ads primarily targeting Ayotte over abortion and her support of former President Donald Trump, whom she disavowed in 2016 but endorsed this year.
At the same time, Ayotte used the keynote to craft his message on abortion — an issue that Republicans across the country have wrestled with time and time again, especially in gubernatorial races. In response to attacks from Democrats, the former senator has insisted he supports the state’s current law, which allows abortion up to the 24th week of pregnancy, and has criticized Democrats for “lying about abortion to scare women.” He also criticized Craig for his actions as mayor of Manchester, citing crime and homelessness in the city.
According to the latest campaign finance reports, Ayotte is trailing Craig in fundraising for the general election.
In 2016, the last time there was an open gubernatorial race in New Hampshire, Republicans won by just 2 points as Sununu defeated former board member Colin Van Ostern. (Van Ostern unsuccessfully ran for the state’s open 2nd Congressional District this year against Maggie Goodlander, a former DOJ official in the Biden administration and wife of National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, in another contested primary.) President Joe Biden won the state by about seven votes. points in 2020.
Delaware also held its gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, where New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer won a messy battle against Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long. Hall-Long — who had the support of key players in the state’s Democratic establishment, including interim Gov. John Carney and the state Democratic Party — was embroiled in a campaign finance scandal that came to light during her campaign.
In addition to New Hampshire, the other big gubernatorial races in November are in North Carolina and Washington state. In the Tarheel state, Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein is seeking to hold his party’s seat because Gov. Roy Cooper is out for a term. He faces state governor Mark Robinson – a controversial but potentially history-making candidate. If elected, Robinson would be the state’s first black governor and one of the few black governors to ever serve. According to ad tracker AdImpact, more than $90 million has already been invested in this race in ads from the March primary through Election Day.
And in Washington, Democratic state Attorney General Bob Ferguson is seeking to hold off former GOP Rep. Dave Reichert in an open race. Republicans are hoping Reichert’s high profile will give them a shot in the blue-leaning state.
