NH Political Report » 2010 NH Senate race

The Ayotte and Lamontagne conservative activist scorecard

James Pindell — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:07:36 +0000

There are three ways to determine who is winning the the invisible primary between U.S. Senate Republican race between former Attorney General Kelly Ayotte and former Republican gubernatorial nominee Ovide Lamontagne:

1. Fund-raising
2. Polls
3. Endorsements/organization

The first two can be quantified, but the third is more elusive. The key question now is whether there will be a Republican primary in the first place and if there is what it will look like. This question will be answered by the 50 to 100 biggest conservatives in the state. A handful of highly regarded conservative operatives and activists helped compile the list is below (none were affiliated with either campaign). This list is about the argument: whether Lamontagne has an argument there must be a conservative alternative or whether Ayotte can be persuasive that she is good enough for them. So, for the most part, the list avoids talented names that are mainly paid operatives. Given that a primary is a year away names on this list may change down the road, but the goal is to be consistent and fair.

Laconia Citizen pans Ayotte appearance

James Pindell — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:21:31 +0000

The Laconia Citizen dissed Kelly Ayotte’s appearance at the Belknap County Republicans last night.

The headline: Ayotte avoids getting too specific in talk to Belknap GOP gathering

Excerpt:

After a 10-minute speech at the Shang Hai Restaurant, she fielded a number of questions from some of the 30 people who attended, but balked at providing many direct answers from a variety of questions that varied from her stand on states’ rights, to whether her political philosophy was closer to that of Maine Republican Olympia Snowe or South Carolina Republican Jim DeMint.

“I can’t identify with one person, but I would listen to the people of New Hampshire,” Ayotte said, saying she had dealt with “tough cases and tough situations” and has never turned away from a fight.

and

“You seem like a very nice lady,” said Meredith resident Donald Ewing, who went on to say he really didn’t think she answered some of his questions, including where she would cut the federal budget and why she could not identify with any sitting senators about her political philosophy.

Full story: http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090910/GJNEWS02/709109607/-1/CITNEWS

EXCLUSIVE: More Ayotte DC fund-raisers, and a Manch b-day party for Ovide

James Pindell — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 02:35:31 +0000

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte has added a few additional fund-raisers with lobbyists when she visits Washington later this month. A day later her potential primary opponent will attend a birthday party in Manchester organized by a host committee of 19 activists.

As was first reported on this site, Ayotte will attend a fund-raiser at the National Republican Senatorial Committee on Sept. 22. Now it is learned she will attend two other fund-raisers that day. One is a lunch at Charlie Palmers Steak House and and the other is hosted by Rick Murphy, a lobbyist and former Judd Gregg staffer.

On Sept. 23rd, Ovide Lamontagne will attend a birthday party in his honor at the Alpine Club in Manchester. Among those on the host committee include Cliff Hurst, Ben Gamache, Susan Duprey, Paul Martineau (the Democratic Manchester Welfare Commissioner), and former U.S. Attorney Dave Vicinanzo.

Ayotte to re-launch website today

James Pindell — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:52:08 +0000

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte will re-launch her website this afternoon, which has a heavily emphasis on social media. (Click to see screenshot.)

Campaign manager Brooks Kochvar said, “We are focused on building a very strong online community that enlists their help in an grassroots campaign. We have an interactive blog that will enable us to share with voters where Kelly is going, where she has been, news coverage of the race, and her views on important issues. It will also give them the opportunity to provide feedback. We also have online donations, sign ups, and a page to learn more about Kelly.”

More features will be added to the site as the campaign progresses, he said.

Shea-Porter and Ayotte face off in Portsmouth

James Pindell — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:40:52 +0000

The Foster’s Daily Democrat has all the details while the political world waits for the video to emerge. http://fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090828/GJNEWS_01/708289909 Related posts:Somersworth Mayors race begins to formWill Nottingham secede from the state?Hillary’s ‘fake bomber guy’ about to be released from jail Related posts:

Ayotte grabs majority of GOP state senators

James Pindell — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:34:04 +0000

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte announced that she has a majority of Republican state senators and Executive Councilor Ray Wieczorek backing her campaign.

The senators announcing support are Sharon Carson, Jack Barnes, John Gallus, Bob Letourneau, Bob Odell and Sheila Roberge.

As of now Ayotte is the only Republican candidate who has filed papers to run for the seat, though a primary challenge is looming from Manchester attorney Ovide Lamontagne.

EXCLUSIVE: Ayotte gets told off in front of hundreds of influential primary voters

James Pindell — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:23:15 +0000

CONCORD — It was more than awkward at the National Rifle Association Foundation dinner Friday night where a former state Representative took the microphone and for nearly 10 minutes went on a tirade about why Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte was not “good on guns” while she sat nearby.

Former state Representative Richard “Stretch” Kennedy has been viewed as a leader on gun issues for at least a decade. When he was offered a chance to speak the room at the Concord Courtyard by Marriott was packed with over 300 people. When Kennedy began questioning Ayotte’s credentials she sat only 30 yards away. A source who was there said it was very awkward especially given that it wasn’t a very political dinner. The NRA Foundation is the education arm that sponsors gun safety programs among other events.

In an interview Kennedy his main complaint was that Ayotte, while attorney general, actively lobbied against the “Castle Doctrine” bill that had passed the state House and Senate and that Ayotte encouraged Democratic Gov. John Lynch to veto, which he did. The Castle Doctrine considers deadly force against an intruder on a person’s own property to be justifiable homicide. (As in a person has the right to defend his or her castle.) Guns groups strongly favored the bill. Ayotte stood with the state’s police chiefs in being against it.

After the event was over Ayotte sought out Kennedy. They discussed the issue for about 20 minutes and agreed to talk about it in a separate meeting with other gun leaders.

“She was upset, but didn’t deny the facts. Look, she is a nice kid, but she has no legislative experience and it is clear she has a lot to learn,” said Kennedy, who served six terms in the House. Kennedy also recalled a bad experience with Ayotte’s potential primary rival Ovide Lamontange when he ran for governor in 1996.

“By the time he met with us guns guys he just gave us a lot of lawyer B.S.,” he said.

While Kennedy has been known for his often pugnacious and off-color remarks, his words are taken seriously within the gun rights community. And the speech comes at a critical time as Ayotte tries to both define herself politically and head off a primary opponent from the right.

7 things Kelly Ayotte must do before her NRSC fund-raiser next month

James Pindell — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:39:09 +0000

There is just a month before Republican U.S. Senate (potential?) candidate Kelly Ayotte attends the NRSC fund-raiser on her behalf in Washington. The fund-raiser, first reported by this site, is already becoming the most talked about fund-raiser in state politics.

The September 22nd fund-raiser is already circled on opponents calendars as a day to pound the storyline that Ayotte is the Washington candidate the same way New Hampshire primary losers George W. Bush, Bill Zeliff, and Bob Dole were.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 7 things Ayotte must do now to mitigate the negative storyline surrounding the fund-raiser.

1. Have a week long, 10 county listening tour with Republican activists. Do two stops a day with private meetings with hot shots and fund-raising calls during travel time. A week is a lot of work and a lot of time, but with a primary looming it is the ultimate head start and can drive local press coverage and conversation.

2. Announce a significant in-state conservative will be a campaign co-chair (think Huckabee or Romney backer).

3. Announce a New Hampshire finance team with broad ideological viewpoints.

4. Beg David Carney to join the team.

5. This might sound crazy, but go on the air with a bio ad ahead of the next UNH poll to drive up favorables and bump up the positive narrative that she is the front-runner.

6. Get a Sununu to back you. There is a whole family of them. The Sununu name is hotter than Gregg, particularly for what Ayotte is trying to accomplish.

7. Pick a fight with Washington Republicans over something — maybe even health care — and do it in a public way. It will create some distance and show she isn’t a puppet.

NHDP video: Ayotte will say anything

James Pindell — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:22:57 +0000

In a new web video today the New Hampshire Democratic Party is continuing their attempt to definate Republican Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte before she has a chance to define herself.

Lamontange launches website

James Pindell — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:55:28 +0000

LAMONTAGNE LAUNCHES ‘DISCOVEROVIDE.COM‘

Potential U.S. Senate candidate announces a new website to continue dialogue with Granite State residents

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire - Former NH GOP gubernatorial nominee Ovide Lamontagne announced today that he has launched a new website – www.discoverovide.com -