Republican Kelly Ayotte’s support for former President Donald Trump was a flash point Wednesday in her final debate with Democrat Joyce Craig in the race to become New Hampshire’s next governor.
As a U.S. senator in 2016, Ayotte initially said she supported Trump as the GOP nominee for president but wouldn’t endorse him. She later withdrew her support and wrote in Mike Pence instead after Trump was caught on videotape making crude comments about grabbing women. Eight years later, her support for Trump this election cycle has been “unwavering,” WMUR-TV debate panelist Steve Bottari said.
“As a former prosecutor and a former attorney general, do his criminal convictions just not matter to you?” Bottari asked.
“It’s not that,” she said. “It’s just that this is the choice that we have in this election. And certainly, I think the country was better off just in terms of costs, what we’re paying, and safety when he was in office.”
After Ayotte repeatedly declined to comment on Trump’s criminal convictions specifically, Craig jumped in, using her time on her next question to return to the topic.
“Where do you draw the line, Kelly, with Donald Trump? Is it when he sexually assaults women? Is it when he posts about Hitler? Or is it when he tries to overthrow democracy?” said Craig, the former mayor of Manchester. “There is no line with Kelly Ayotte.”
Ayotte responded with questions of her own.
“Who’s going to fight for New Hampshire no matter what? Who’s going to even stand up to their party when it’s hard?” she said. “I’ve done it. I was the third most bipartisan senator in the United States Senate. I never hesitated to cross the aisle to do the right thing for New Hampshire.”
Ayotte pointed to Craig’s frequent campaigning with Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey as evidence that Craig prioritizes her party and what she characterized as its “higher taxes, less freedom” philosophy.
“Why is she spending so much time with the governor of Massachusetts when she wants to represent the people of New Hampshire?” Ayotte said.
Craig described her commitment to New Hampshire by saying she is a fourth-generation resident who joined the governor’s race to help New Hampshire families. As for Healey, she said part of being governor is working with other governors throughout New England on important topics, such as energy. But neither was willing to stop there, at one point talking over each other.
“You’re never going to stand up because you’re a party line person. I’ve stood up to my party and I’ll do it again,” Ayotte said, as Craig said, “You support a convicted criminal for president. He’s unfit to be president.”
Ayotte and Craig are vying to be the third woman elected governor of New Hampshire, filling the seat being left open by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who is not seeking a fifth two-year term.