Maggie Hassan is running for the U.S. Senate, setting the stage for a contest with Republican incumbent Kelly Ayotte that could be critical to determining control of the chamber.
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“In order to continue working to realize our state’s full potential we need a response from Washington that meets the progress we’re making here at home”, Hassan said in a statement. Ayotte raised .6 million in the third fundraising quarter and has $5 million cash on hand. Hassan, 57, has always been considered the party’s strongest challenger to Ayotte.
“Gov. Hassan has spent her long political career doggedly pushing an agenda of higher taxes that would demolish New Hampshire’s proud “live free or die” tradition”, Reed said. “Washington, D.C. already has enough of this big-spending mentality, and New Hampshire can’t afford Gov. Hassan in the Senate”. In it, Hassan runs through what she considers a list of her accomplishments: a balanced state budget, expanded economic growth, lower tuition at community colleges, and expanded Medicaid.
While Ayotte leads Hassan in the latest polls, which have been updated regularly, it’s safe to assume that she will be facing a tough re-election battle next year; Ayotte won a landslide victory in 2010, clinching 60 percent of the vote.
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Women’s issues are likely to be a major focus of the 2016 campaign. “Her failed leadership has brought Washington-style gridlock to the governor’s office, and the last thing New Hampshire needs in the Senate is another rubberstamp for more partisan politics”. In her initial budget proposal this year, Hassan proposed raising the cigarette tax and vehicle registration fees. Ayotte took to Twitter Monday morning to respond to Hassan’s announcement. One of a few female GOP senators, Ayotte rose quickly to national prominence and has become a leading Republican voice on national security and other issues, an area where Hassan is lacking experience.
