Former GOP senator wins New Hampshire governor’s race

Republican candidate former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte won New Hampshire’s state governor election, according to the Associated Press. Sitting Gov. Chris Sununu opted not to run for a third term, saying it was the right time for another Republican to lead.

Ayotte claimed about 52% of the vote by 11 p.m. ET Tuesday night, about six points over Democratic challenger Joyce Craig, with Libertarian Stephen Villee grabbing about 2%. Craig conceded while addressing supporters Tuesday night, saying she already congratulated Ayotte on her win. Congratulations to Governor-Elect Ayotte, who ran a true New Hampshire campaign that won the New Hampshire way, former Gov. Sununu wrote Tuesday night.

Who is Ayotte? The newly elected governor served as the state’s attorney general in the mid-2000s before serving a term as a U.S. senator. She named public safety as her top priority as governor and promised to strengthen penalties for heroin and fentanyl dealers and end bail reforms. She also vowed not to change current state law allowing women to abort unborn babies for any reason up to six months into a pregnancy, with exceptions in the last three months. Illegal immigration is another priority for Ayotte, specifically barring illegal immigrants from obtaining driver’s licenses and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy in the state’s sanctuary cities.