NEW HAMPSHIRE
     Nov. 2, 2010 U.S.Senate

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+Kelly Ayotte (R)
273,218
60.09%
Paul Hodes (D)
167,545
36.85%
Chris Booth (I)
8,194
2.02%
Ken Blevens (L)
4,753
 1.04%

454,710

Plurality: 105,673 votes (23.24 percentage points).



Notes:  On Feb. 3, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sen. Judd Gregg (R) for Commerce of Secretary, but on Feb. 12 Gregg withdrew from consideration, saying the job wasn't a good fit.  During his Feb. 12 press conference, Gregg also said he would not run for re-election (>).  In the Nov. 2010 general election, former Attorney General Kelly Ayotte (R) defeated U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (D) and two other candidates to keep the seat in the Republican column.

Hodes was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.  Seven candidates competed in the Sept. 14, 2010 Republican primary (>).  Ayotte (>) won with 53,056 votes (38.21%) followed by attorney and 1996 gubernatorial nominee Ovide Lamontagne at 51,397 votes (37.01%), and businessman Bill Binnie at 19,508 (14.05%); the other four candidates finished in single digits.

Ayotte and Hodes engaged in several debates including at NHPR studios in Concord on Sept. 22 (>); and at St. Anselm College NHIOP in late October (>).

The race was competitive financially; according to Open Secrets the Ayotte campaign spent $5.0 million compared to $4.9 million for the Hodes campaign (>); outside spending favored Ayotte, led by $2.3 million by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and $1.4 million by American Action Network.


Campaign Managers:
Kelly Ayotte:  Brooks Kochvar
(July 2009)  Campaign manager
on U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (OR) unsuccessful 2008 re-election campaign after serving as deputy chief of staff to Smith, Feb. 2007-Dec. 2008.  Chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Chris Chocola (IN), 2002-06.  Undergraduate degree from University of San Diego, 1999.

Paul Hodes: Valerie Martin
(Mar. 2009)  Campaign manager on Tom Allen for Senate (ME), Mar. 2007-Dec. 2008.  Deputy finance director on McCaskill for Missouri, Aug.-Nov. 2006.  Finance director and deputy campaign manager on Cathy Cox for Governor (GA), May 2005-July 2006.  Finance director on Allyson Schwartz for Congress (PA), Jan.-Dec. 2004.  Bachelor's degree in political science and criminal justice from University of Dayton, 2001.


See also:
Steve Peoples.  "Hodes Finding Winds of Change Blow Both Ways."  Roll Call, Oct. 18, 2010.

Norma Love.  "Lamontagne, Ayotte in too-close-to-call Sen race."  Associated Press, Sept. 15, 2010.







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