Kelly Ayotte defeats Joyce Craig in New Hampshire governor’s race

Ayotte, a former state senator, and Craig, the former mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire, were vying to fill the open seat left vacant by outgoing Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH).

Ayotte led Craig, 52%-46%, when the Associated Press called the New Hampshire governor’s race at 10:34 p.m. EST with about 57% of the ballots counted.

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New Hampshire is one of two battleground states holding governor’s races this year. The Granite State has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in the last five elections, but it also sent Sununu, a centrist Republican, to the governor’s mansion four times. It has an all-Democrat congressional delegation but a Republican-controlled state legislature.

The state elects a new governor every two years. According to a Washington Examiner analysis, the top issues for New Hampshire voters were Social Security, crime, abortion, the economy, and immigration.

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Ayotte represented New Hampshire in the Senate from 2010 to 2016, losing her reelection bid by just over 1,000 votes. She worked to distance herself from former President Donald Trump during the campaign.

The Cook Political Report rated New Hampshire’s gubernatorial race a “toss-up.”