AP Race Call: Republican Kelly Ayotte wins election for governor in New Hampshire

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9:34 PM on Tuesday, November 5, 2024

By The Associated Press

Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte was elected governor of New Hampshire on Tuesday, extending the GOP’s hold on the office by defeating former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig. The seat was open for the first time since 2016 after Republican Gov. Chris Sununu decided not to seek a fifth two-year term. Ayotte, who was New Hampshire’s first female attorney general, is the third woman to be elected governor in the state. She focused much of her campaign on crime and immigration, stoking anti-Massachusetts sentiment with her "Don’t Mass it up" slogan. The Associated Press declared Ayotte the winner at 10:34 p.m. EST.