Thursday, Nov. 05, 2009
Kelly Ayotte (New Hampshire)
Though they haven't officially endorsed her, the NRSC and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell have helped raise money for former attorney general Kelly Ayotte, who resigned to run for the seat being vacated by retiring Senator Judd Gregg. The move by national GOP figures prompted angry editorials in New Hampshire: "Butt out!" said the Union Leader. Ayotte is facing at least four primary challengers, the most prominent of whom is Ovide Lamontagne, a conservative who was the GOP's 1996 gubernatorial nominee. Not much is known about Ayotte's stances on a number of platform issues, but she's being billed by some in New Hampshire as being in the mold of the Maine Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both moderate Republicans.