Hassan, a two-term governor, has always been considered Democrats’ best chance of beating Ayotte, a former attorney general who won her seat during the 2010 Republican wave election.
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Maggie Hassan (D) on Monday announced that she will run for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire, challenging incumbent Sen.
Hassan touted her work to promote business innovation, freeze tuition at state universities, balance the state budget and begin fixing infrastructure.
Within minutes of the video’s release, Ayotte issued a statement welcoming her opponent into the race.
“Washington has given into special interests and lobbyists who rig the system for themselves and against the middle class”, Hassan says in the video.
“To continue to realize our state’s full potential, we need a response from Washington that meets the progress we are making here at home”, Hassan said in the video.
The Democratic governor has been a vocal supporter of Planned Parenthood, railing against the New Hampshire Executive Council’s August vote to defund the state’s clinics.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which raises funds for Senate Republicans, called Hassan a “do-nothing governor” with an “open hostility to pro-growth policies”. Ayotte does not support government funding for Planned Parenthood, which has been questioned in recent months for providing fetal tissue from abortions for research.
As for the bipartisan warrior bit, the New Hampshire Union Leader is already hitting her for that claim, saying she’s not credible on that front.
“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”, Horn said Monday. Ayotte took to Twitter Monday morning to respond to Hassan’s announcement.
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Ayotte launched her re-election bid during the summer.
