The race for New Hampshire governor comes down to the former senator. Kelly Ayotte vs. former mayor Joyce Craig

CONCORD, N.H. – In one of the most competitive gubernatorial races in the country, New Hampshire voters are choosing between a candidate seeking to advance from local to statewide office and another seeking to bring federal experience to the Statehouse.

Democratic former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig will face Republican former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte in Tuesday's election to replace Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who declined to seek a fifth two-year term. Both would be the third woman elected governor of New Hampshire, joining Democrats Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, both of whom now serve in the Senate.

It was a narrow defeat to Hassan in 2016 that ended Ayotte's one-term tenure in Washington. Ayotte previously served as the state's attorney general for five years and often highlighted her past as a prosecutor during her campaign.

Ayotte was endorsed by Sununu ahead of the September GOP primary and pledged to continue his anti-tax, pro-business economic policies. She railed against more liberal Massachusetts to the south with the slogan “Don't Mass it up,” accused Craig of supporting tax increases and blamed her for crime, homelessness and drug overdose deaths in the state's most populous city.

“If you're a retiree or saving for retirement, she's already said in this campaign that she's going to raise your taxes,” Ayotte said during a recent debate, referring to Craig's support for reinstating a tax on interest and dividends. “If she’s willing to talk about tax increases in a contentious campaign, imagine what she’ll do when she’s governor.”

Craig, who served on Manchester's school and city councils before being elected as the city's first female mayor in 2017, highlighted her leadership experience. She said it prepared her to address the state's housing crisis, strengthen public schools and expand access to reproductive health care.

On the latter question, she was particularly critical of Ayotte, citing Ayotte's Senate decisions to defund Planned Parenthood and eliminate mandatory insurance coverage for birth control. Although Ayotte has said she would veto any bill that further restricts abortion, she supported a 20-week ban as a senator. Craig described them as “the greatest threat to reproductive freedoms our state has ever seen” and out of touch with state and local communities.

“Senator. “Ayotte has spent her entire career attacking reproductive freedom,” Craig said during a debate last week. “Her actions speak louder than her words, and we cannot trust her.”

New Hampshire law prohibits abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy unless the mother's health or life is in danger or there is a fatal fetal anomaly.

While Ayotte enjoyed greater name recognition and stronger fundraising, Craig benefited from a more unified party, supported by Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket. In contrast, Republicans are more fractured, and Ayotte has a troubled past with former President Donald Trump. She withdrew her support for him in 2016 over his offensive comments about women, but has now backed him, saying his record is better than the Biden administration.