Former Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) is one step closer to a political comeback, winning her party’s primary Tuesday to set up one of this year’s most competitive gubernatorial races.
Ayotte will face off against Democrat Joyce Craig, most recently the mayor of Manchester, for New Hampshire’s open gubernatorial seat in the fall after GOP Gov. Chris Sununu decided to not seek another term.
Ayotte defeated a crowded field that included former state Senate President Chuck Morse, and Craig emerged victorious after a heated primary with Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington.
National groups have already had a significant role in the primary, given there’s such a short runway before the general election. Ayotte had the support of Sununu, who chose not to run for reelection this year after flirting with a presidential bid, as well as the Republican Governors Association, which donated more than $2 million to her campaign through an affiliated group.
Democrats have also been spending heavily, with the Democratic Governors Association pouring in around $9 million on advertisements in the primary targeting Ayotte over abortion and for supporting former President Donald Trump, whom she disavowed in 2016 but embraced this year.
Meanwhile, Ayotte spent the primary crafting her message on abortion — a topic that Republicans across the country have struggled with time and time again, particularly in gubernatorial contests. In response to the Democratic attacks, the former senator has insisted that she supports the state’s current law, which allows abortions until the 24th week of pregnancy, and has criticized Democrats for “lying about abortion to scare women.” She also lambasted Craig for her tenure as mayor of Manchester, pointing to crime and homelessness in the city.
Ayotte enters the general election with a fundraising advantage over Craig, according to the most recent campaign finance reports.
In 2016, the last time there was an open gubernatorial race in New Hampshire, Republicans won by just 2 points, when Sununu defeated former Executive Councilor 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 contentious primary.) President Joe Biden won the state by around 7 points in 2020.
Delaware also held its gubernatorial primaries Tuesday, where New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer won after a messy battle against Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long. Hall-Long — who had the support of major players in the state’s Democratic establishment, including term-limited Gov. John Carney and the state Democratic Party — was dogged by a campaign finance scandal that came to light amid her campaign.
Beyond New Hampshire, the other major governor races in November are in North Carolina and Washington state. In the Tarheel State, Democratic state Attorney General Josh Stein is looking to hold the seat for his party, as Gov. Roy Cooper is term-limited. He’ll be up against state Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson — a controversial but also potentially history-making candidate. If elected, Robinson would be the state’s first Black governor and one of just a handful of Black governors to ever serve. More than $90 million has already been placed in that race on ads since the March primary through Election Day, according to ad tracker AdImpact.
And in Washington, Democratic state Attorney General Bob Ferguson is looking to hold off former GOP Rep. Dave Reichert for the open seat race. Republicans hope that Reichert’s prominent profile gives them a chance in a blue-leaning state.
