Kelly Ayotte, former GOP Senator from New Hampshire, officially launched her bid for governor on Monday, following Republican Governor Chris Sununu’s recent announcement of retirement.
Sununu, who confirmed he would not seek a fifth term as governor after ruling out a presidential bid, was first elected in 2016. In light of his retirement announcement, Ayotte seized the opportunity and expressed her intent to run for the gubernatorial seat.
In an interview with Fox News, Ayotte emphasized her primary focus as governor would be on enhancing safety measures by imposing stricter penalties for fentanyl dealers. This initiative aims to reduce the number of overdose deaths, reflecting her dedication to addressing the opioid crisis in the state.
“Gov. Sununu did a great job, but there is going to be a vacuum there, and we are one election away from becoming Massachusetts in New Hampshire, and I’m not going to let that happen,” said Ayotte. “We have something very special in New Hampshire — no income [tax], no sales tax, education freedom is so important in our state. So I’m running for governor to make sure that New Hampshire remains safe, prosperous and free.”
Ayotte said she wants to protect New Hampshire from the “evil” that neighboring states like Massachusetts have, including “less freedom” with income and sales taxes.
Prior to her time in the Senate, Ayotte served as New Hampshire’s attorney general from 2004 to 2009, according to Ballotpedia. Ayotte was overwhelmingly elected to the Senate in 2010 by over 20 points, but narrowly lost a second term in 2016 to former Democratic Governor and current Sen. Maggie Hassan 48% to 47.9%.
Ayotte will face former state Sen. Chuck Morse in the Republican primary, and the Democratic primary already has two contenders — Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig and Executive Council member Cinde Warmington, according to NBC News Boston. New Hampshire is one of only two states in the country to elect its governor every two years.
