CONCORD, N.H. - Kelly Ayotte's national profile is once again on the rise after a convincing gubernatorial election victory last week in New Hampshire, where she vows to be the "champion" for her constituents and will work with the incoming Trump administration on key issues.
"I see one role for me and that is every day, to wake up and to be the champion for the people of New Hampshire," the governor-elect said in a Fox News Digital interview at her transition office this week in the state's capital city.
And Ayotte, who last week defeated Democratic gubernatorial nominee and former Manchester, New Hampshire mayor Joyce Craig by an unexpected nearly 10-point margin, emphasized that she plans "to focus on the economic issues, education, mental health, and housing," when she is inaugurated in early January.
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When it comes to former and future President Trump, Ayotte said "I look forward to working with the Trump administration on behalf of the people of New Hampshire, whether its roads, whether its bridges, whether its areas where we can strengthen our public safety. I think there are so many opportunities where we should be working together, and I’m going to advocate for the people of this state."
Ayotte, a former state attorney general, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 and was a rising star in the GOP and regarded as a leader on national security and foreign policy.
But Ayotte lost re-election in 2016 by a razor-thin margin of just over 1,000 votes at the hands of then-Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan.
"It was a privilege to represent New Hampshire in the United States Senate, but I’ve been elected governor of the state of New Hampshire and everyday I’m just going to wake up and say ‘what can I do for New Hampshire today,'" Ayotte said when asked about any emerging new role as a leader in the GOP.
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Ayotte launched her gubernatorial bid last year after popular Republican Gov. Chris Sununu announced that he wouldn't seek re-election in 2024.
Sununu, a well-known figure in national politics, endorsed Ayotte in early August ahead of her easy victory in September's GOP gubernatorial primary.
The governor often joined Ayotte on the campaign trail in the late summer and autumn, and Ayotte highlighted that she planned to continue the Sununu agenda.
"I think Gov. Sununu has done an excellent job for the state of New Hampshire. We’re leading the nation in so many metrics," she told Fox News.
But she added that "the thing that I love most about Gov. Sununu is the passion, the positive enthusiasm that he brings for this state. He loves this state. He’s so proud of New Hampshire. And I’m going to bring that same attitude as governor, really being a champion for the people of New Hampshire."
"Obviously, we are different people, but I share his philosophy on the economic prosperity of the state and the emphasis on personal and economic freedom," Ayotte emphasized.
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Ayotte said her years serving in Washington will come in handy as she takes over in the Granite State's governor's office.
"Having the experience of having served in Washington, I certainly will fight hard for New Hampshire when it comes to interacting with the Trump administration," she said. "Those federal dollars – making sure that they come to New Hampshire. But also, when Washington does things on the regulatory front, I want to make sure that New Hampshire’s voice is at that table."
Ayotte famously broke with then-GOP presidential nominee Trump just ahead of the 2016 election. She withdrew her support for Trump over the "Access Hollywood" controversy, in which Trump, in a years-old video, made extremely crude comments about grabbing women without their consent.
"I cannot and will not support a candidate for president who brags about degrading and assaulting women," Ayotte said at the time.
While they both lost in New Hampshire, Ayotte slightly outperformed Trump in the state as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton edged the White House winner by less than 3,000 votes.
Before heading back full time to New Hampshire, Ayotte stuck around Washington briefly after the end of her term, shepherding then-Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch (Trump's first high court nominee) through his successful Senate confirmation process.
As she ran for governor the past two years in a state where New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary repeatedly drew Trump and other GOP White House hopefuls, Ayotte kept her distance from the national political conversation.
She stayed neutral in New Hampshire's presidential primary, but did endorse Trump after he locked up the nomination. She didn't appear with Trump's running mate - now Vice President-elect JD Vance - when the senator from Ohio made a last-minute stop in the Granite State a couple of days before Election Day.
But Ayotte told Fox News "I want to congratulate President Trump, obviously, on a very strong victory on Election Day."
Asked about some of the president-elect's controversial Cabinet nomination announcements this week, Ayotte said that "it’s important that he’s putting together a team that works for him."
But the former senator emphasized that "this is really a decision for the United States Senate. They have an important role when it comes to advise and consent. I’m sure they’ll look carefully at President Trump’s nominees and make sure that they believe that they’re qualified."
Ayotte, in the GOP gubernatorial primary, easily defeated former New Hampshire Senate president Chuck Morse, who touted his support for Trump and questioned Ayotte's loyalty to the former president. Morse's hope that he would land a Trump endorsement never materialized, as the former president stayed neutral.
Also helping Ayotte as she ran for governor - a helping hand from the Republican Governors Association, which dished out nearly $21 million in support of Ayotte. Most of the funding came in the final two months of the race, but the RGA did make a $2.75 million pre-primary investment.
The RGA - unlike the rival Democratic Governors Association - sent their resources directly to the Ayotte campaign from the start of their involvement in the race, rather than taking the traditional route of putting their funding in an independent expenditure committee.
