(NewsNation) — NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ has called the race for governor in New Hampshire in favor of Sen. Kelly Ayotte. Track the results of the presidential race around the country here.
Ayotte and Democratic former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig ran for the vacant office in what was expected to be one of the nation’s most competitive gubernatorial races after GOP Gov. Chris Sununu announced he would not seek a fifth term in office.
Sununu threw his support behind Ayotte, who centered her campaign around the issue of abortion, which has been a challenge for Republicans across the country.
Ayotte said she supports New Hampshire’s current abortion laws, which allow women to have the procedure through the 24th week of pregnancy. Ayotte became a target of the Democratic Governors Association over her stance on abortion as well as for her support of former President Donald Trump.
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Ayotte disavowed Trump in 2016 but reversed course this year. Ayotte had remained largely out of the political eye after she lost her 2016 Senate reelection bid by fewer than 1,000 votes.
Craig has gone after Ayotte for her stance on providing tax breaks for New Hampshire’s wealthiest residents while the biggest tax burdens fall at the feet of more middle-class families. Craig, meanwhile, said she opposes a broad-based sales tax or income tax and instead favors revenue from recreational marijuana sales to help fund her agenda.
She has pledged to pass legislation that would legalize the sale and possession of cannabis for recreational use, which in turn could help fund several key state initiatives. Ayotte remained opposed to legalized marijuana and said that instead, the state needed to focus on producing a balanced budget and living within its means.
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In addition to reproductive rights and legalized marijuana, the price of New Hampshire housing and the opioid crisis remained key issues in the run-up to the November election, which many pundits considered a toss-up.
Sununu, who nearly chose not to seek reelection before his fourth term in favor of a Senate run, soundly defeated Democrat Tom Sherman in 2022. Craig is looking to become the first Democrat to hold the office of governor since Maggie Hassan held the office between 2013 and 2017. John Lynch, another Democrat, occupied the governor’s mansion from 2005-13.
New Hampshire’s independent-leaning electorate has kept it as a prime swing state in recent presidential elections. Democratic candidates have won the state in every election dating back to 1992, and President Joe Biden defeated Trump by 7% in 2020. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the election in the state by the slimmest of margins, defeating Trump by 0.3%.
