The race to replace Chris Sununu in New Hampshire is now set
The primaries of Tuesday were won by former Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte, and Democrat Joyce Craig.
Kelly Ayotte, former senator from New Hampshire (R), is now one step closer to making a comeback in politics. She won her party’s primaries on Tuesday and set up the most competitive race for governor this year.
Ayotte, who was most recently mayor of Manchester, will compete with Democrat Joyce Craig for the open gubernatorial position in New Hampshire this fall, after GOP Gov. Chris Sununu has decided not to seek a second term.
Ayotte won a close race that included the former state Senate president Chuck Morse. Craig was victorious in a heated primaries with Executive Councilor Cinde warmington.
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The short time before the general elections has already seen national groups play a major role in the primaries. Ayotte received the support of Sununu who decided not to run for reelection after flirting with the idea of a presidential campaign, and the Republican Governors Association which gave more than $2 million through an affiliate group to her campaign.
Democrats are also spending heavily. The Democratic Governors Association has spent around $9 million in advertisements during the primary campaign to target Ayotte for her support of former President Donald Trump who she had disavowed back in 2016, but now embraced.
Ayotte, meanwhile, spent her primary campaign crafting a message on abortion, a subject that Republicans have repeatedly struggled to address, especially in gubernatorial races. The former senator, in response to Democratic attacks, has said that she supports the current state law which allows abortions up to the 24th weeks of pregnancy. She has also criticized Democrats for “lying to scare women about abortion.” Craig was lambasted for her tenure as the mayor of Manchester pointing out crime and homelessness.
According to the latest campaign finance reports, Ayotte has a fundraising edge over Craig in the general election.
Sununu, the former Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern, won the 2016 open race for governor of New Hampshire by only 2 points. Van Ostern ran unsuccessfully for the open 2nd Congressional District in New Hampshire this year, against Maggie Goodlander. Goodlander is a former DOJ employee in the Biden Administration and the wife of National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Joe Biden was able to win the state in 2020 by about 7 points.
Delaware held its primary elections for governor on Tuesday. New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer was elected after a long and messy fight with Lt. Governor. Bethany Hall Long. Hall-Long, who was supported by major players of the Democratic establishment in the state, including the term-limited Governor. John Carney, the state Democratic Party and Hall-Long were dogged by an investigation into a scandal involving campaign financing that was revealed during her campaign.
Other than New Hampshire, North Carolina and Washington State are the two other states that will have major governor elections in November. Josh Stein, the Democratic Attorney General of the Tarheel state, is trying to keep the seat in the Tarheel for his party as Governor. The term of Roy Cooper has been limited. He will be facing off against the state’s Lt. Governor. Mark Robinson is a controversial, but potentially historic candidate. Robinson, if elected, would become the first Black Governor of Georgia and one of only a few Black governors in history. AdImpact, a tracker of advertising campaigns, reports that more than $90,000,000 has been spent on advertisements in this race since the March primaries through Election Day.
In Washington, Democrat state Attorney General Bob Ferguson hopes to beat former GOP Rep. Dave Reichert in the race for an open seat. Republicans are hoping that Reichert’s high profile will give them a shot in a state with a strong blue leaning.
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