Kelly Ayotte | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Ayotte in 2025 | |
| 83rdGovernor of New Hampshire | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Chris Sununu |
| United States Senator fromNew Hampshire | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Judd Gregg |
| Succeeded by | Maggie Hassan |
| 27thAttorney General of New Hampshire | |
| In office July 15, 2004 – July 17, 2009 | |
| Governor | Craig Benson John Lynch |
| Preceded by | Peter Heed |
| Succeeded by | Michael Delaney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kelly Ann Ayotte (1968-06-27)June 27, 1968 (age 57) Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Party | Republican (2003–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Independent (before 2003)[1] |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | |
| Website | Office website Campaign website |
Ayotte questions witnesses on reforming the defense acquisition system. Recorded April 30, 2014 | |
Kelly Ann Ayotte (/ˈeɪɒt/AY-ott;[2] born June 27, 1968) is an American attorney and politician serving since 2025 as the 83rdgovernor of New Hampshire. A member of theRepublican Party, she served from 2011 to 2017 as aUnited States senator fromNew Hampshire and from 2004 to 2009 as the 27thattorney general of New Hampshire.
Born inNashua, New Hampshire, Ayotte is a graduate ofPennsylvania State University, andVillanova University School of Law. She worked as a law clerk at theNew Hampshire Supreme Court before entering private practice. She served as a prosecutor for theNew Hampshire Department of Justice and briefly as the legal counsel to GovernorCraig Benson before returning to the New Hampshire Department of Justice to serve as deputy attorney general. In 2004, Benson appointed Ayotte as attorney general of New Hampshire afterPeter Heed resigned. She became the first woman to serve as New Hampshire's attorney general. She was twice reappointed by GovernorJohn Lynch. Ayotte resigned as attorney general in 2009 to run for the U.S. Senate after SenatorJudd Gregg announced his retirement.
In September 2010, Ayotte narrowly defeated lawyerOvide M. Lamontagne in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. She then defeated Democratic congressmanPaul Hodes in thegeneral election with 60% of the vote. Ayotte was mentioned as a possible running mate for Republican nomineeMitt Romney in the2012 presidential election. In2016, Democratic GovernorMaggie Hassan defeated Ayotte in her reelection bid by 1,017 votes (0.14%).[3] After PresidentDonald Trump nominated JudgeNeil Gorsuch to theUnited States Supreme Court, the Trump administration chose Ayotte to be thesherpa in charge of the White House team forGorsuch's confirmation.
Ayotte was elected governor of New Hampshire in2024, defeating Democratic nomineeJoyce Craig.[4]
Kelly Ann Ayotte[5] was born inNashua,New Hampshire, on June 27, 1968, the daughter of Kathleen M. (née Sullivan) and Marc Frederick Ayotte. Her father's family is ofFrench–Canadian descent.[6] Ayotte attendedNashua High School and received a B.A. fromPennsylvania State University in political science.[7] At Penn State, she was initiated into theDelta Gamma sorority.[8] In 1993, Ayotte received aJ.D. fromVillanova University School of Law, where she had served as editor of theEnvironmental Law Journal.[9]
Ayotte clerked for Sherman D. Horton, associate justice of theNew Hampshire Supreme Court, for one year. From 1994 to 1998, she was an associate at McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, aManchester law firm.[10]
In 1998, Ayotte joined the office of theNew Hampshire attorney general as a prosecutor. In 2001, she married Joseph Daley, a pilot in the National Guard.[11] In 2003, Ayotte became legal counsel to GovernorCraig Benson. Three months later, she returned to the attorney general's office as deputy attorney general.[12] In June 2004, Benson appointed Ayotte as attorney general of the state of New Hampshire afterPeter Heed resigned.[13]
Ayotte joined eight other states' attorneys general to sue federal regulators over a rules change that made clean air emissions standards for power plants less strict and eliminated clean air reporting and monitoring requirements.[14][15]
In 2005, the court agreed with Ayotte and the others that theEnvironmental Protection Agency must measure changes in the emissions from power plants and could not exempt power plants from reporting their emissions.[15]
As assistant attorney general, Ayotte prosecuted two defendants for the2001 Dartmouth College murders inEtna, New Hampshire.
As attorney general, Ayotte prosecuted the high-profile case surrounding the 2006 murder of Manchester police officer Michael Briggs in the line of duty. It resulted in a conviction anddeath penalty sentence.[16] Members of Briggs' family praised her leadership in ads for her 2010 Senate campaign.[17][18]
In 2003, theUnited States District Court for the District of New Hampshire found the Parental Notification Prior to Abortion Act, a New Hampshire law requiringparental notification of a minor's abortion, unconstitutional, and enjoined its enforcement. In 2004, New Hampshire Attorney General Peter Heed appealed the ruling to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which affirmed the district court's ruling. In 2004, Ayotte appealed the First Circuit's ruling to the Supreme Court, over the objection of incoming GovernorJohn Lynch. She personally argued the case before theSupreme Court.[19][20][21] The Supreme Court unanimously vacated the district court's ruling and remanded the case back to the district court, holding that it was improper for the district court to invalidate the statute completely instead of just severing its problematic portions or enjoining its unconstitutional applications.[22] In 2007, the New Hampshire legislature repealed the law, mooting the need for rehearing by the district court.[23]
In 2008,Planned Parenthood sued to recover its attorney fees and court costs from the New Hampshire Department of Justice.[24] In 2009, Ayotte, as attorney general, authorized a payment of $300,000 to Planned Parenthood to settle the suit.[25]
While attorney general, Ayotte served as a member of the Public Advisory Board at theNew Hampshire Institute of Politics atSaint Anselm College.[26] In 2011, she returned to the Institute as a senator to talk to political science students.[27]
In 2013, Ayotte attended a forum at Saint Anselm College to explain theNever Contract With the Enemy Act (S. 675), which she co-sponsored withRichard Blumenthal.[28] She was accompanied by Special Inspector General for Iraq ReconstructionStuart Bowen. They addressed military contractor fraud and how to prevent funds paid to military contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq from winding up in the hands of parties hostile to the United States.[29]
Ayotte resigned as attorney general on July 7, 2009, to explore arun for U.S. Senate in 2010.[30][31] The crowded Republican primary field included former congressional and gubernatorial candidateOvide M. Lamontagne, businessman and owner ofNH1 NewsWilliam Harrison Binnie, and State RepresentativeTom Alciere. Ayotte had never run for office, but narrowly won the primary election on September 14, 2010.[30][32] Ayotte was endorsed byJohn McCain,Sarah Palin,John Thune,Tom Coburn,Mitt Romney,Tim Pawlenty,Haley Barbour, andRick Santorum.[33] In the general election, she defeated Democratic nomineeU.S. RepresentativePaul Hodes, 60% to 37%.[34]
In 2016, Ayotte ran for reelection to the U.S. Senate againstMaggie Hassan, New Hampshire's sitting governor.[35]
In February 2016, theKoch Brothers-linked conservative advocacy groupAmericans for Prosperity announced that Ayotte was the lone vulnerable Republican U.S. senator the group would not support in 2016, due to her support for theClean Power Plan tocombat climate change.[36]
On May 4, 2016, an Ayotte spokeswoman said Ayotte "intends to support the Republican nominee" for U.S. president but did not plan to make an endorsement.[37] In October 2016, after lewd sexual comments Republican nomineeDonald Trump made ina 2005 video came to light, Ayotte said that as a mother and a former prosecutor who had worked with victims, she could no longer vote for Trump,[38] and would write inMike Pence for president.[39]
Ayotte lost her seat to Hassan by 1,017 votes.[40]
Ayotte was endorsed by the New Hampshire Troopers' Association, the New England Narcotics Enforcement Officers' Association, and the Manchester Police Patrolmen's Association.[41] She was also endorsed by theNew Hampshire Union Leader, theNashua Telegraph, theCaledonian-Record, and thePortsmouth Herald. TheHerald endorsement was notable as it had endorsed Ayotte's opponent,Maggie Hassan, in Hassan's previous runs for office.[42]
Ayotte helped include provisions in theEvery Student Succeeds Act to boostSTEM education, particularly among girls and underrepresented minorities, and to support career and technical education in schools.[43][44]
Ayotte strongly opposed theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's proposal to pass significant at-sea monitoring costs to New Hampshire's fishermen and brought NOAA officials to New Hampshire to hear from fishermen.[45] NOAA later backed off from the proposal.[46]
Ayotte served on theSenate Armed Services andHomeland Security Committees and was widely regarded as a leader on national security and foreign policy.[47][48][49]
Ayotte led legislative efforts to keep suspected terrorists atGuantanamo Bay rather than closing it and transferring them to U.S. soil.[50]
She was an outspoken critic of theIran nuclear deal, saying that Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world.[51] She proposed strict new sanctions on Iran.[52]
Ayotte was critical of the Obama administration's response toISIS and called for increased airstrikes against ISIS.[53]
Ayotte was one of four senators, two Republicans and two Democrats, who introduced theComprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, federal legislation to support local solutions and implement a comprehensive federal strategy to tackle the heroin and prescription opioid abuse epidemic.[54] The bill was structured around prevention, treatment, recovery, and support for first responders.
Ayotte also cosponsored bills to improve care for infants born addicted or in withdrawal and help expectant and new mothers struggling with addiction get treatment.[55][56] She backed successful efforts to better look after kids in schools who are struggling with addiction issues at home and to stop the flow of drugs across the southern border.[43][57]
Ayotte was a vocal proponent of reauthorizing the Perkins Loan program, as she argued roughly 5,000 New Hampshire students relied on it.[58]
Ayotte routinely included provisions in annual defense authorization bills that supported the work being done atPortsmouth Naval Shipyard andPease Air National Guard Base, and by theNew Hampshire National Guard. She also strongly opposed further rounds of the base realignment and closing commission.[59]
Ayotte included provisions in theVeterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014 to allow New Hampshire veterans to receive medical care closer to home.[60] She was the only member of the New Hampshire delegation to vote against a budget proposal the singled out veterans' benefits for cuts.[61] She offered and cosponsored legislation to give veterans access to cutting-edge prosthetics, strengthen mental health services for veterans and their families, and improve the support system for military families.[62][63][64]
Ayotte supported tax reform to simplify the tax code and lower rates. She said she believed it would help bring back trillions of dollars parked overseas.[65]
In December 2015, Ayotte voted to suspend the Medical Device Tax, which she said threatened nearly 3,500 manufacturing jobs in New Hampshire.[66] She was also a leading opponent of the Internet sales tax.[67]
Ayotte supported abalanced budget amendment to theConstitution and helped pass the Senate's first balanced budget in 14 years.[68]
Ayotte offered a variety of legislation to eliminate wasteful spending and duplicate or unnecessary programs.[49]
Ayotte offered the Gender Advancement in Pay Act to implement New Hampshire's equal pay law at the federal level.[69]
Ayotte andJeanne Shaheen cosponsored a bill to combat pregnancy discrimination in the workplace and ensure expectant mothers can continue working during pregnancy.[70]
She offered and cosponsored legislation to make it easier for employers to offer flex-time to working parents and to expand access to affordable childcare.[71][72]
Ayotte sponsored 217 bills, including:[73]
Ayotte was mentioned as a possible running mate for Republican nomineeMitt Romney in the2012 presidential election.[79][80] Before the2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, she was regarded as one of the most likely candidates if the Republican nominee selected a woman in order tobalance the ticket against a Democratic ticket likely to be led byHillary Clinton (the Democratic primary'sfront-runner).[81]
During her time in the Senate, Ayotte received a number of awards for her legislative activity from various civic organizations and interest groups, including theNational Retail Federation,[82]CCAGW PAC,[83] theAARP,[84]Save the Children,[85] the New HampshireVeterans of Foreign Wars,[86] theNational Association of Police Organizations,[87] and theAppalachian Trail Conservancy.[88]
After the end of her Senate career in 2017, Ayotte worked primarily in the private sector, and was named to several corporate boards of directors, including those ofCaterpillar Inc.,News Corp.,BAE Systems,Boston Properties, Blink Health,Bloom Energy, andBlackstone Group.[89] After New Hampshire GovernorChris Sununu announced he would retire at the end of his term in 2024, Ayotte announced her candidacy for governor.[90] Throughout the race, the election was considered a tossup, as neither Ayotte nor Democratic nomineeJoyce Craig had a clear lead in polling. Ayotte won, 54% to 44%.
.jpg)
During her U.S. Senate term, Ayotte was described as both a conservative Republican and a centrist.[91][92][93] After her 2010 election, the Associated Press called her "a conservative Republican",[94] and two years later NBC News described her "unique identity in the Senate as a Northeastern conservative Republican woman."[95] She demonstratedcentrist tendencies in her voting record and worked with Democrats on some issues.[96][97][98]The New York Times described her as a moderate Republican.[99] The Lugar Center atGeorgetown University ranked Ayotte as the 11th most bipartisan member of the U.S. Senate during the 113th Congress.[100] TheAmerican Conservative Union gave her a 64% lifetime score and the progressiveAmericans for Democratic Action gave her a 35% score; the nonpartisanNational Journal gave her a composite score of 67% conservative and 33% liberal based on her voting record.[101]
During her gubernatorial campaign, Ayotte expressedfiscally conservative positions, using the slogan "Don't Mass it up" to contrast her views "against more liberal Massachusetts to the south".[102][103] She called herself a "strong conservative" while adding she would continue Sununu's legacy.[104] Addressing voters after she was elected governor, she told those who did not vote for her that she was open to bipartisan cooperation.[105]
Ayotte initially backedDonald Trump's 2016 presidential bid before rescinding her endorsement before the election. She endorsed Trump's 2024 presidential bid.[106][107]
Ayotte voted for the comprehensiveimmigration reform bill (theBorder Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013) brought forward by the bipartisanGang of Eight, calling it a "a thoughtful, bipartisan solution to a tough problem".[108][109] In 2024, she retracted that support for a pathway to citizenship for immigrants.[110] She has been a vocal critic of the practice ofsanctuary cities and voted to withhold federal funding from municipalities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials.[111] She also said in a debate that she supports a task force to patrol the U.S.-Canada border.[112]
Ayotte did not supportHillary Clinton's proposal to bring an additional 65,000Syrian refugees to the United States, unless stricter vetting was implemented to "guarantee to the American people that none of the individuals that are being brought to the United States have any connections to ISIS."[113]
Ayotte opposes increasing theminimum wage,[114] and opposes federal legislation to index the minimum wage to inflation to reflect adjustments in thecost of living.[115] She said she supports the current federal minimum wage but that "each state should decide what is best" when it comes to raising it.[116]
In 2010, Ayotte said she was open to raising theSocial Security retirement age for younger workers in an effort to avoid long-term insolvency, but does not support changes for people at or near retirement.[115][117]
Ayotte opposed passage of theEmployee Free Choice Act ("Card Check"), which would have amended theNational Labor Relations Act to allow employees tounionize whenever theNational Labor Relations Board verified that 50% of the employees had signed authorization cards, therefore bypassing asecret ballot election.[118]
In April 2014, the Senate debated thePaycheck Fairness Act. The bill would have punished employers for retaliating against workers who share wage information and put the justification burden on employers as to why someone is paid less while allowing workers to sue for punitive damages of wage discrimination.[119] Ayotte said that one of her reasons for voting against ending debate on the bill was that Majority LeaderHarry Reid had refused to allow votes on any of the amendments that Republicans had suggested for the bill.[119] Ayotte offered her own equal pay bill, the Gender Advancement in Pay Act, which would implement New Hampshire's equal pay law at the federal level, but was "a little stronger in its anti-retaliation provision because it explicitly addresses written policies".[69]
In April 2014, Ayotte voted to extend federal funding for unemployment benefits. Federal funding had been initiated in 2008 and expired at the end of 2013.[120]
In March 2015, Ayotte voted for an amendment to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to allow employees to earn paid sick time.[121] She also offered a bill to give private-sector employers the statutory authority to offer optional flex-time.[71]
Ayotte favors abalanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.[122] She advocated for such an amendment as a member of the Senate Budget Committee.[123]
In 2010, Ayotte criticized the 2008 bailouts, saying, "I wouldn't have supported theTARP or the bailouts... I do not think we should have bailed out the private sector."[124]
Ayotte called for federal budget cuts to reduce the federal debt and deficits, proposing in 2010 that every government department cut its budget by 20 percent from current levels, though "some may cut more, some may cut less".[124]
Ayotte favored the permanent repeal of theestate tax and has co-sponsored legislation to repeal the tax.[125][126]
During the standoff over increasing the nationaldebt limit in 2011, Ayotte pushed for greater cuts in government spending and voted against the eventual deal.[123]
Ayotte pushed to end congressionalearmarks and cosponsored legislation to ban the practice.[127]
Ayotte opposed theDodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. She said that the legislation failed to directly address problems withFannie Mae andFreddie Mac and imposed additional regulatory burdens oncommunity banks.[128]
In 2010, when asked aboutclimate change, Ayotte acknowledged that "there is scientific evidence that demonstrates there is some impact from human activities" but added, "I don't think the evidence is conclusive."[124][129] She opposed both acap-and-trade system and acarbon tax to reducecarbon emissions.[124] In 2012, Ayotte voted with four other Republican senators to defeat a proposal to block the Environmental Protection Agency from promulgating the first federal standards regulating air pollution from power plants.[123] In 2013, she voted for a point of order opposing a carbon tax or a fee on carbon emissions.[130]
Ayotte was one of two Republican senators to vote against a Republican measure introduced byRoy Blunt that sought to block President Obama from negotiating aninternational agreement on climate change. She voted to fast-track approval for theKeystone XL pipeline project.[129]
In October 2015, Ayotte became the first congressional Republican to endorse a measure by President Obama dubbed theClean Power Plan, which would seek a 32 percent cut in the power sector's carbon emissions.[131][132] That same year she was one of five Republican senators to vote to pass a non-binding amendment stating that "climate change is real and human activity significantly contributes to climate change."[132]
Ayotte favored repealing theAffordable Care Act (Obamacare)[133] and repeatedly voted to repeal it.[134] She called the ACA a "success tax" on successful businesses[135] and said it drove up the costs of healthcare.[136] In November 2013, amid growing concerns over the launch ofHealthCare.gov, particularly relating to delays associated with initial online signups for health coverage, Ayotte called for a "time out" on the ACA, suggesting instead to "convene a group of bipartisan leaders to address healthcare concerns in this country because this is not working."[137]
Ayotte supported state-administered healthcare programs such asSCHIP and federal tax credits that serve to reduce the number of uninsured.[138]
Ayotte received theAmerican Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Congressional Award in recognition of her support for increasing mental health resources.[139]
Ayotte advocated passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which was intended to addressopioid abuse. The bill would increase funding for treatment of addiction and allow nurses and physician assistants to treat substance use disorder with medication, which Ayotte said would increase the treatment options available.[140]
Ayotte joined all Senate Republicans in refusing to hold ahearing onMerrick Garland'snomination to theSupreme Court.[141][142] After leaving the Senate, she served assherpa forNeil Gorsuch'snomination byDonald Trump to the vacancy.[143] In this role, she led the White House team that guided Gorsuch through his confirmation process, escorting him to meetings and hearings on Capitol Hill.[144]
In 2024, Ayotte said she supported current New Hampshireabortion law, which permits abortion on request until 24 weeks of pregnancy.[145] She said she would veto any legislation to restrict abortion during the first 24 weeks.[146] Previously, she said she was against abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the life of the mother.[147] In 2010, she said thatRoe v. Wade should be overturned.[148][149] In 2014, she led a Republican effort to call for a vote on a bill to implement a 20-week nationwide abortion ban.[150] But in 2024, during her gubernatorial campaign, she reversed that position, saying she opposed federal restrictions on abortion.[112] Ayotte said she supported access toin-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment.[151] This shift to a more pro-abortion stance drew harsh criticism fromPlanned Parenthood, which she opposes state funding for.[152]
In the Senate, Ayotte offered legislation to makebirth control available over-the-counter without a prescription, which she argued would increase access and allow flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts to be used to purchase it.[153] She voted to shift federal funding fromPlanned Parenthood to othercommunity health centers that also serve low- and middle-income women and families, but opposed an attempt to shut down the federal government over the issue.[154][155] For 2016, Ayotte was given a 100% rating by National Right to Life and an 82% by the pro-life Campaign for Working Families.[101]
For 2016,NARAL Pro-Choice America gave Ayotte a 15% rating and pro-choice Planned Parenthood gave her a 6% rating.[101] Also in 2016, Ayotte's Senate reelection campaign was criticized for giving away free condoms at the University of New Hampshire.[156]
Ayotte's views on same-sex marriage as well as adoption by same-sex couples have evolved with time.[157][158][159][160] As New Hampshire's attorney general, she opposed requiring employers to provide benefits to same-sex couples, and sought to appeal a court ruling on the issue;[161] the appeal was dropped after New Hampshire legalized civil unions.[162]
In 2010, Ayotte said ofsame-sex marriage: "Ultimately I do think this is a matter for the states and states should decide how to define marriage. New Hampshire's already made that decision and I respect the decision."[163] In 2015, she was one of 11 U.S. Senate Republicans who voted to extendSocial Security andveterans' benefits to all same-sex married couples.[164] TheHuman Rights Campaign, which supports same-sex marriage and other gay rights, gave Ayotte an 80% rating.[101]
Running for governor in 2024, Ayotte said she opposes laws that keep a student's gender identity confidential and supports laws requiring schools to inform parents about a student's gender identity at school.[165] But Ayotte vetoed two anti-LGBT bills in 2025, one that would have banned books with LGBT themes and one that would have created bathroom restrictions.[166] She said she believes "there are important and legitimate privacy and safety concerns raised by biological males using places such as female locker rooms and being placed in female correctional facilities" but that "At the same time, I see that House Bill 148 is overly broad and impractical to enforce, potentially creating an exclusionary environment for some of our citizens".[167]
Ayotte voted to reauthorize theViolence Against Women Act in 2012.[168] In 2014, she andClaire McCaskill led passage of a bill to reform the way the military handles sexual assaults, increase prosecutions, and improve support for survivors.[169][170] In 2015, she andKirsten Gillibrand introduced theCampus Accountability and Safety Act to combat sexual assault on college campuses and better support survivors.[171]
Ayotte supported the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions inMcDonald v. City of Chicago andDistrict of Columbia v. Heller, which invalidated strict gun laws in Chicago and Washington.[118] In 2006, she opposed a Republican-backed bill to establish acastle doctrine for New Hampshire.[172]
In 2013, Ayotte opposed legislation offered byJoe Manchin andPat Toomey to mandatebackground checks for all commercial gun sales.[173] As part of the debate over Manchin-Toomey, Ayotte voted for an amendment that would have increased access to mental health records for background checks and provided funding to prosecute background check violations. The amendment did not pass.[174]
In June 2016, Ayotte voted against an amendment offered byChris Murphy that would have required background checks for gun sales at gun shows, over the internet, and between friends and family. She voted for an amendment to increase funding for the background check system and enhance the definition of "mental competency" for purchasing firearms. She also voted for two amendments to block or delay the sale of firearms to known or suspected terrorists. All four amendments failed.[174]
In the Senate, Ayotte supported proposed compromises on contentious gun legislation. She was part of a bipartisan group of eight senators who supported compromise legislation to close the "No Fly, No Buy" loophole and ensure people on theNo Fly list could not purchase firearms.[175][176][177]
_Town_Hall_hosted_by_the_New_Hampshire_Republican_Party.jpg)
Ayotte chaired theSenate Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee and was a leading voice in the hawkish wing of theSenate Republican Conference.[178][179][180][181][182] She opposed the Iran nuclear deal and called for strict new sanctions on Iran.[180] Ayotte also backed new sanctions on North Korea in the wake of purported nuclear tests and called for a tougher stance on Russia.[183][184]
In October 2014, Ayotte wrote anop-ed inThe Hill criticizingMahmoud Abbas, writing that thePalestinian Authority president "has embarked on a destructive course harmful to the prospects for rebuilding Gaza and achieving Israeli–Palestinian peace."[185]
In October 2011, Ayotte cosponsored a bill with John McCain to control costs associated with major defense acquisition programs.[123] She opposed the Defense Department's wish to retire the U.S.'s fleet ofCold War-eraA-10 Thunderbolt II jets and redirect those funds elsewhere, arguing that there was no adequate replacement for the plane and citing her husband's experiences flying the A-10 while in theAir Force.[186]
Ayotte criticized President Obama for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011.[187]
In July 2016, Ayotte released a comprehensive plan to defeatISIS, including a "more aggressive" campaign of U.S. airstrikes againstISIS inIraq andSyria.[187]
Ayotte fought attempts by the Obama administration to try terrorism suspects in civilianfederal courts.[123] She opposed the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and introduced a bill in the Senate that would block its closure and ban any transfer of detainees to the United States.[188]
Ayotte criticized the August 2015 transfer of 15 prisoners from theGuantanamo Bay detention camp to theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE), saying she believed the released prisoners had dangerous ties to terrorism and would resume terrorist activity. She said thatthe Pentagon told her in 2015 that 93 percent of the detainees in Guantanamo Bay were considered "high risk" for returning to terrorist activities.[189][190]
Ayotte authored and released an unclassified report that summarized information about the 107 original detainees at Guantanamo Bay, including the detainees' affiliations and terrorist activities before their detention. She pushed for the Pentagon to publicly disclose more details about the detainees; the Pentagon currently releases only detainees' names and countries where they are transferred.[190]
In 2001, Ayotte married Joseph Daley, an Iraq War veteran and former A-10 pilot who flew combat missions in Iraq.[191] Daley is retired from theAir National Guard and owns a small landscaping and snow plow business in Merrimack.[192] She and Daley have two children.[193]
Ayotte is a practicing Catholic.[194][195][196]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kelly Ayotte | 435,400 | 53.6 | |
| Democratic | Joyce Craig | 360,068 | 44.3 | |
| Libertarian | Stephen Villee | 16,919 | 2.1 | |
| Total votes | 812,387 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Maggie Hassan | 354,268 | 48.2 | |
| Republican | Kelly Ayotte (incumbent) | 353,525 | 48.1 | |
| Independent | Aaron Day | 17,702 | 2.0 | |
| Libertarian | Brian Chabot | 12,988 | 1.7 | |
| Total votes | 738,483 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kelly Ayotte | 273,210 | 60.09 | |
| Democratic | Paul Hodes | 167,545 | 36.85 | |
| Independent | Chris Booth | 9,194 | 2.02 | |
| Libertarian | Ken Blevens | 4,753 | 1.05 | |
| Total votes | 454,702 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kelly Ayotte | 53,056 | 38.21 | |
| Republican | Ovide Lamontagne | 51,397 | 37.01 | |
| Republican | Bill Binnie | 19,508 | 14.05 | |
| Republican | Jim Bender | 12,611 | 9.08 | |
| Republican | Dennis Lamare | 1,388 | 1.00 | |
| Republican | Tom Alciere | 499 | 0.36 | |
| Republican | Gerard Beloin | 402 | 0.29 | |
| Total votes | 138,861 | 100.0 | ||
{{cite news}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Attorney General of New Hampshire 2004–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator from New Hampshire (Class 3) 2010,2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Republican nominee for Governor of New Hampshire 2024 | Most recent |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | United States Senator (Class 3) from New Hampshire 2011–2017 Served alongside:Jeanne Shaheen | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of New Hampshire 2025–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byasVice President | Order of precedence of the United States Within New Hampshire | Succeeded by Mayor of city in which event is held |
| Succeeded by OtherwiseMike Johnson asSpeaker of the House | ||
| Preceded byasGovernor of South Carolina | Order of precedence of the United States Outside New Hampshire | Succeeded byasGovernor of Virginia |
Statewide political officials ofNew Hampshire | ||
|---|---|---|
| U.S. senators |  | |
| State government |
| |
| Senate |
| |
| House |
| |
| Supreme Court (appointed) |
| |
| Class 2 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
