Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) won the New Hampshire governor’s race Tuesday, besting former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig (D) with 52% of the vote.
The race to replace retiring Gov. Chris Sununu (R), who won four two-year terms, was the most competitive of the 11 gubernatorial contests this year.
In this swing state, Granite State voters have in recent years backed Democratic candidates for president and U.S. Senate, while also electing Sununu and GOP majorities in the state House and Senate.
That trend appeared to continue Tuesday, with Ayotte winning despite former President Donald Trump trailing Vice President Kamala Harris in the state by a similar margin.
Ayotte campaigned on keeping New Hampshire on the path Sununu set, such as by allowing the last vestiges of the state’s income tax to expire as scheduled next year. She also pledged to crack down on crime and illegal immigration, among other promises.
Craig made reproductive rights the centerpiece of her campaign and emphasized kitchen-table issues, such as housing costs.
Read more: Ayotte holds late polling edge in the most competitive Gov race