New Hampshire

GOP Candidate Runs From Anti-Abortion Record in Tight Gubernatorial Race

Published

1 year ago

November 2, 2024

GOP Candidate Runs From Anti-Abortion Record in Tight Gubernatorial Race

A Republican gubernatorial candidate in New Hampshire is running away from her longtime opposition to abortion, in the latest test of Republicans’ ability to distance themselves from the unpopular policy in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate the constitutional right to an abortion.

As a U.S. senator and in the years after she left elected office, Kelly Ayotte was consistently involved with efforts to limit reproductive autonomy. But in her race against Democrat Joyce Craig, the former mayor of Manchester, Ayotte has tried to assure voters that she wouldn’t impose additional abortion restrictions in the Granite State, though she’s stopped short of disavowing her previous positions. The state currently bans abortions after 24 weeks, with limited exceptions.

Craig and her supporters have made abortion a central issue in the race, while Ayotte has slammed Democrats for “politicizing abortion to win votes.” The two are facing off in a tight race that the Cook Political Report has described as the only “toss-up” governor’s race this year. Neither Ayotte’s campaign nor Craig’s campaign responded to a request for comment.

Ayotte is far from the only Republican candidate who’s attempted to distance herself from opposition to abortion. Vice presidential nominee and Ohio Republican Sen. JD Vance was caught earlier this year wiping anti-abortion messages from his website. And in some congressional races this cycle, Republicans have attempted to rebrand as “pro-choice,” despite their records to the contrary. GOP candidates are seemingly looking to avoid a repeat of the 2022 midterm elections, when Democrats successfully tied their Republican opponents to the deeply unpopular Dobbs decision, which came down in June of that year.

“New Hampshire voters overwhelmingly support abortion access,” said Kayla Montgomery, vice president of public affairs for Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund, which has endorsed Craig. “So Kelly is trying to rebuild her record on this. And at the end of the day, I don’t think voters are going to be fooled because she has a long record of being anti-abortion.”

No Constituency for Abortion Opposition

A year before Dobbs, New Hampshire’s Republican Gov. Chris Sununu signed into law a 24-week abortion ban — which includes exceptions for fatal fetal diagnoses and to save the life of the pregnant person — along with additional restrictions, including a mandatory ultrasound for anyone seeking an abortion. The measures “hugely backfired” for Republicans, said Linda Fowler, a government professor at Dartmouth University. Last year, lawmakers repealed the ultrasound mandate.

Though New Hampshire’s abortion law is far less restrictive than those of many Southern states, Democrats have noted that it’s out of step with the rest of New England. Neighboring states have all codified a guaranteed right to abortion and pro-actively expanded access to abortion care.

Anti-abortion politics have never been particularly popular in the Granite State, said Fowler. “There’s not much of a constituency for it,” she said.

Craig has vowed to codify abortion rights and to repeal the existing restrictions past 24 weeks. In a platform promise to “champion women’s health,” Ayotte, meanwhile, said she supports the state’s current law and would not change it.

She has emphasized that message in a series of campaign ads. In one ad, Ayotte, who was endorsed by the current Republican governor, argues that Democrats are lying about the state’s abortion ban and that women in New Hampshire have the right to choose. In the same ad, she says that she would “veto” any law that was more “restrictive” than the current abortion ban. However, in a later debate, she refused to answer whether she would support criminal or civil penalties for abortion providers after 24 weeks.

Ayotte, who as a senator supported a measure that state Democrats argue would have allowed employers and insurers to deny coverage for in vitro fertilization, has proactively affirmed her support for the treatment. In another advertisement, the former senator discusses finding out during one of her pregnancies that her fetus wasn’t viable and argues that because she’s experienced loss, she would never outlaw treatments like IVF.

A Clear Record

Democrats and their allies, meanwhile, have been encouraging voters to look at Ayotte’s relatively recent record on reproductive rights.

“Ayotte is purposely rewriting her record on abortion and is, at times, outright lying to Granite Staters about what she would do as Governor of New Hampshire. The reality is that she cannot be trusted to protect reproductive rights in New Hampshire,” wrote the state Democratic Party in a memo outlining Ayotte’s abortion record.

As a senator, Ayotte received a 100 percent rating from the National Right to Life Committee, the largest and oldest anti-abortion organization in the United States, and an A+ rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a large anti-abortion lobbying group.

In 2014, Ayotte was one of four senators who led the charge to implement a national abortion ban. Ayotte also voted for the controversial Blunt Amendment, which would have weakened the Affordable Care Act’s birth control mandate. And she repeatedly voted to defund Planned Parenthood. Ayotte also served as one of the senators who shepherded Neil Gorsuch through his Supreme Court confirmation process, a crucial vote for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Ayotte lost her reelection bid in 2016 and continued her anti-abortion advocacy outside the Senate.

In 2017, Ayotte reportedly helped found Winning for Women, a political action committee pitched as a counter to EMILY’s List, a liberal group that backs “pro-choice” Democrats. She served on Winning for Women’s board and was listed on its website as recently as 2023, but her name was removed by February 2024, according to a review of internet archives.

Winning for Women poured over $8.3 million into backing dozens of candidates with anti-abortion records during Ayotte’s tenure, according to local reporting. And on the same day the Supreme Court released its Dobbs decision, the organization reportedly launched a joint fundraising committee for six candidates who had previously supported overturning Roe v. Wade. The group has supported a variety of hard-line anti-abortion candidates, including Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Georgia.

Ayotte hasn’t explicitly changed her position on abortion — and that may prove to be a political liability, said Fowler, the Dartmouth professor. “She hasn’t said I’ve changed my mind about being pro-choice. She hasn’t had a Liz Cheney, you know, ‘The anti-abortion movement has gone too far’ kind of moment,” Fowler said. “She’s basically tried to say she won’t change the law and put it behind her. And so it becomes a basis for the Craig campaign to say, “You can’t trust her on this issue,” and anecdotally, when you talk to women about it, that resonates with them.”

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New Hampshire

Mass. man struck by car, seriously injured on I-93 in Londonderry, NH

Published

10 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Mass. man struck by car, seriously injured on I-93 in Londonderry, NH

A Massachusetts man was flown to the hospital after he was struck by a car when he stepped out of his vehicle in the breakdown lane of Interstate 93 in Londonderry, New Hampshire, on Saturday morning.

State police say 40-year-old Felix Matos Medina, of Lawrence, had stopped on the right side of I-93 south at Exit 5 just before 11 a.m. to investigate a possible mechanical issue. He was struck shortly after he stepped out of his vehicle by a Chevrolet Malibu and sustained serious injuries.

Medina was taken by medical helicopter to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington, Mass., police said. There was no immediate update on his condition.

I-93 southbound was closed near Exit 5 for about 30 minutes to facilitate the medical helicopter’s landing. One lane remained closed for several hours to accommodate crash reconstruction and on-scene investigation.

The driver who struck Medina, identified as David Jodoin, stopped at the scene and is cooperating with investigators, according to police. No charges have been filed at this time, but all aspects of the crash remain under investigation at this time.

Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Trooper Evan Puopolo at 603-451-9784.

State police are also reminding all New Hampshire drivers that Sherrill’s Law requires motorists approaching a stopped vehicle displaying warning signals to slow down and give plenty of space. Drivers are also required to move out of partially or wholly blocked lanes when it’s safe to do so.

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New Hampshire

Downtown Shooting | How Much Income Makes Someone ‘Rich’ | Sex Sale Gone Bad On Facebook? Nearby News NH

Published

22 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Downtown Shooting | How Much Income Makes Someone ‘Rich’ | Sex Sale Gone Bad On Facebook? Nearby News NH

CONCORD, NH — Here are the Top 10 most popular stories and posts from around New Hampshire Patch sites last week.

Concord Police Investigating The Death Of A Young Child In The City’s South End Neighborhood: Update: Dakin Street was closed to traffic for several hours during an investigation of a child found dead at a duplex on Friday morning.
Facebook Marketplace Cleaning Services Hire Or Sex Sale Gone Bad Leads To Stabbing In Manchester: Court docs: Frank Miller of Manchester and Kendra Gokey, a homeless woman, were arrested on first-degree assault and other charges Sunday.
Man Shot During Dispute On South State Street In Downtown Concord: Video: Breaking: A man was shot in the leg Saturday during a dispute; cops have South State Street from Thompson to Concord closed to traffic.
Fast Food Chain Closing Locations | Queen City Killing | Meth Distributor Pleads Guilty | More: Nearby News: Also: Best sandwich shop in NH; untimely death; crashes; knife attack indictments; firefighter injured in explosion released from hospital.
After The Snow Sunday And Monday, More Is Coming To New Hampshire, Forecasters Say: After the storm that is expected to bring 8 to 12 inches of snow to the state, more snowstorm fronts are expected to arrive this week.
6 To 15 Inches Of Snow Heading To The Granite State Sunday Night; Wind Gusts Up To 45 mph: Forecasters: Heavy, blinding snow is expected in central and southern New Hampshire, as well as the Seacoast, from Sunday night to Monday morning.
National Fast Food Chain To Close Hundreds Of Restaurants; New Hampshire Locations May Be Impacted: The chain that closed hundreds of locations in 2024 expects to shutter approximately 360 nationwide during the first half of 2026.
Police Arrest Man On Felony Charges After South State Street Shooting In Downtown Concord: Follow-Up: David Anziani faces first-degree and second-degree assault, reckless conduct, and felonious firearm charges after a shooting on Saturday.
Hollis Teen Faces Assault Charge, Accused Of An ‘Unprovoked’ Attack In Downtown Nashua In November: Connor Cook was arrested in late December after being accused of punching another man in the face on Main Street and then fleeing the scene.
How Much Income Is Needed To Be Considered ‘Rich’ In New Hampshire?: A new analysis details the annual household income required to be considered among the top 10 percent of earners in the Granite State.

Here are some other posts readers may have missed:

Child Death Investigation | Queen City Tax Cap Fight | Fun Things To Do This Weekend | More: PM Patch NH

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