Abortion rights a big concern for Democrats in N.H. governor’s race – The Boston Globe

“For me, it’s trusting women to make their own health care decisions,” Craig said at the end of the roundtable. “We need to codify access to abortion in New Hampshire, and I will work to do that as governor.”

Under current law in New Hampshire, abortions are allowed until 24 weeks of gestation. After that, pregnancies can be terminated only when there are medical emergencies or “fetal abnormalities incompatible with life.” Health care providers who violate the law risk civil and criminal penalties.

“With no protections for abortion in New Hampshire, this issue will be top of mind for Granite State voters on Election Day and is poised to be the deciding factor up and down the ballot,” said Kayla Montgomery, vice president of public affairs at Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund.

Would it be possible to affirmatively protect abortion rights in New Hampshire state law and also keep some version of the tighter restrictions after 24 weeks of pregnancy?

“That’s a discussion we can have,” Craig told The Boston Globe. “But the important point in this is trusting women to make their own health care decisions and not holding doctors criminally responsible.”

During a New Hampshire Public Radio debate on Tuesday, Ayotte reiterated her commitment to veto any legislation that would tighten abortion restrictions in the state.

Ayotte said she has “always” supported exceptions to allow for abortions in cases of rape or incest or when the mother’s life is in danger, and she left open the possibility of signing legislation to loosen the state’s current law accordingly.

“Obviously if there are other issues that come up with the law that need to be addressed, of course I am willing to address them,” Ayotte said. “But I would not allow anything more restrictive in our state, and that’s really important.”

When asked whether she would agree to eliminate the law’s criminal and civil penalties, Ayotte said she hadn’t heard of any problems related to those provisions and would have to look into that issue further.

Democrats have contended throughout this campaign cycle that Ayotte’s latest comments don’t align with her track record. They cite, for example, how during her time as a US senator she pushed for federal restrictions on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and after leaving office took on a role shepherding Justice Neil Gorsuch through his confirmation to the US Supreme Court, where he joined in overturning Roe v. Wade.

At Friday’s roundtable, Craig was flanked by former governors and current US senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, who said Ayotte cannot be trusted to keep her word on abortion policy.

Ayotte, who served as New Hampshire attorney general before her single term in the US Senate, said during the NHPR debate that she views the post-Roe outcome in New Hampshire as appropriate.

“I believe that this issue should be decided by the states,” she said. “New Hampshire decided this.”

That position isn’t shared, however, by most Granite Staters, according to polling conducted this month by the UMass Lowell Center for Public Opinion.

About 6 in 10 likely New Hampshire voters said they either strongly oppose (44 percent) or somewhat oppose (17 percent) leaving it up to each state to decide whether abortion is legal, according to the UMass polling. That includes 87 percent of those who lean Democratic, 36 percent of those who lean Republican, and 54 percent of independents.

Two-thirds of likely New Hampshire voters said they would either strongly support (51 percent) or somewhat support (15 percent) a law establishing a nationwide right to abortion, according to the polling. That includes 83 percent of those who lean Democratic, 48 percent of those who lean Republican, and 61 percent of independents.

Montgomery said the poll makes clear “there is a strong consensus among Granite Staters that abortion rights must be protected.”

Ayotte has been endorsed by outgoing Governor Chris Sununu and said she would keep the state moving down the same path as it has been during Sununu’s eight years in office.

While the Republican incumbent remains popular in the state, those who disapprove of him cited his handling of abortion as their top reason, according to polling over the summer by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.

Sununu outperformed Donald J. Trump on the ballot in 2016 and 2020. Ayotte would likely need to replicate that on Nov. 5 to beat Craig, since polling shows Vice President Kamala D. Harris leading Trump by 7 percentage points or more in the state.

Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.