Kelly Ayotte

Why they say you should vote for them

The candidate's own case to voters, summarized from their campaign and public statements.

• Says she works every day to keep New Hampshire "safe, prosperous and free."[1]
• Campaigns on "NO New Taxes," saying she has held the line against an income or sales tax while balancing the budget.[2],[3]
• Says housing laws she signed will speed up home construction and ease prices.[2],[5],[13]
• Points to her public safety record, including changes to the state's bail law and tougher penalties for refusing a DUI test.[3],[5]
• Cites removing cell phones from classrooms and expanding child care scholarships.[2]

Background

• Governor, State of New Hampshire · 2025–present[4]
• Corporate board member, Companies including Caterpillar, News Corp and BAE Systems · After 2017 (dates not listed)[12]
• Led the confirmation effort ("sherpa") for Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, Trump administration · 2017[4],[12]
• U.S. Senator, U.S. Senate · 2011–2017[4],[20]
• Attorney General, State of New Hampshire · 2004–2009[4],[12]
• Prosecutor, Chief of the Homicide Prosecution Unit, Deputy Attorney General, and Legal Counsel to Gov. Craig Benson, New Hampshire Department of Justice; Office of the Governor · 1998–2004[4],[12]

Education

• B.A., Political Science (with honors), Pennsylvania State University[4],[12]
• J.D., Villanova University School of Law (1993)[4],[12]

Where they stand

• Public Safety
  Pushed the Legislature to roll back the state's bail reform law, which she said was too lenient on people charged with crimes, and signed tougher penalties for drivers who refuse a breath test.[5]
• Immigration
  Signed two laws (HB 511 and SB 62) that bar sanctuary policies and require local cooperation with ICE detainers. In February 2026 she said DHS dropped a planned ICE facility in Merrimack after her talks with federal officials.[6],[11]
• Abortion
  Says she will veto any bill that further restricts abortion beyond current state law, which allows abortion in the first 24 weeks. In 2026 she vetoed a bill on health workers' right to refuse to take part in abortions, saying federal law already protects them.[10],[7]
• Education
  Signed a 2025 law removing income limits on the state's Education Freedom Accounts, which give families state money for private school or home-school costs, and signed a school-day cell phone ban.[9],[5]
• Health Care
  Proposed and signed Medicaid changes requiring premiums from some enrollees and raising pharmacy copays. Says she is committed to keeping Medicaid strong and protected eligibility levels, especially for children.[8]
• Taxes
  Opposes an income or sales tax and vetoed a 2026 bill that would have raised tolls for drivers without a New Hampshire E-ZPass, saying she does not support raising tolls.[2],[7]
• Housing
  Signed laws meant to speed housing construction and pledged to cut state agency approval times for housing projects to no more than 60 days.[2],[10]
• State Budget
  Created a Commission on Government Efficiency to find spending cuts and signed a two-year budget that cut agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of the Child Advocate.[10],[5]

Voting record

A selection of notable recorded votes. Not a complete record.

In their words