Former President Donald Trumpâs coveted endorsement could make the difference in the New Hampshire Republican primary for governor as the two candidates in the race trade blows in what has become a tense competitionâwith one declining to say whom they voted for in the presidential primary.
Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and state Sen. Chuck Morse (R-N.H.) are in the running to replace Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.
Mr. Morse is an avid Trump supporter who endorsed the former president when he launched his first presidential campaign in 2016, but Ms. Ayotte was hesitant to do so and retracted her endorsement after the leak of an Access Hollywood tape of President Trump, then a candidate, making sexual comments about women.
âI wanted to be able to support my partyâs nominee, chosen by the people, because I feel strongly that we need a change in direction for our country,â Ms. Ayotte said in a statement at the time. âHowever, Iâm a mom and an American first, and I cannot and will not support a candidate for president who brags about degrading and assaulting women.â
She went on to write in the name of former Vice President Mike Pence in 2016.
However, the former senator seems to have changed her stance and said recently she would support President Trump if he was the nominee.
Ayotteâs Background
Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, Ms. Ayotte lost her reelection bid in 2016 to Democrat Maggie Hassan. Since then she has turned her focus to becoming governor of the Granite State, launching a gubernatorial bid in July 2023.
President Trumpâs supporters have not forgotten the former senatorâs retraction of her 2016 endorsement, and political operatives believe it will hurt her in the race for the governorâs mansion, regardless of her recent gesture.
âKelly Ayotte spent the entire year of 2016 yo-yoing between criticizing and embracing Donald Trump. Now sheâs running the same failed playbook in 2024, refusing to even say who she voted for in the primary,â political strategist Jared Leopold told The Epoch Times. âWaffling on Trump makes Ayotte look like the career politician that she is, and it opens up a major line of attack in the increasingly nasty Republican gubernatorial primary.â
Her opponent pressed Ms. Ayotte to disclose whom she voted for in the 2024 presidential primary.
âI certainly believe that the voters are asking where [Ms. Ayotte] stands and Iâve made it pretty clear where I stand, I am proud to support the president,â Mr. Morse told The Epoch Times.
Ms. Ayotte has not publicly announced whom she voted for in the presidential primary.
âI think what the president did in 2016 is that he appealed to the working person in New Hampshire and they got pretty attracted to him because he was basically saying he was going to do somethingâhe wasnât going to go down the mainstream lane of politics and he actually proved to do that,â Mr. Morse said.
Mr. Morse said he has appeared with President Trump at several rallies in New Hampshire but he hasnât asked for his endorsement yet.
âI certainly donât know anyone who wouldnât want the presidentâs endorsement,â he said.
Controversial Support for COVID Vaccine
Another problem spot for Ms. Ayotte among Trump supporters may be her support for COVID vaccines.
Ms. Ayotte also co-chaired the CSIS Global Health Policy Centerâs Commission on Strengthening Americaâs Health Securityâan organization funded by Bill Gatesâwhich recommended the need to combat anti-vaccine sentiment through government intervention.
Another section on the commissionâs website is titled âBuilding a New Orderâ and details the commissionâs plans to recommend âsteps that the United States should take to rebuild a more effective and responsive âinternational order,â both politically and operationally.â
The Epoch Times reached out to Ms. Ayotteâs campaign for comment.
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
Running For Office? Conservative Campaign Consulting – Election Day Strategies!