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.
Endorsed by Sununu ahead of September’s GOP primary, Ayotte promised to continue his anti-tax, pro-business economic policies. She 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…