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Kelly Ayotte
Governor Kelly Ayotte receives a briefing from National Guard cyber operators (cropped).jpg
Ayotte in 2025
83rd Governor of New Hampshire
Assumed office
January 9, 2025
Preceded by Chris Sununu
United States Senator
from New Hampshire
In office
January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2017
Preceded by Judd Gregg
Succeeded by Maggie Hassan
27th Attorney General of New Hampshire
In office
July 15, 2004 – July 17, 2009
Governor Craig Benson
John Lynch
Preceded by Peter Heed
Succeeded by Michael Delaney
Personal details
Born
Kelly Ann Ayotte

(1968-06-27) June 27, 1968 (age 57)
Nashua, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political party Republican (2003–present)
Other political
affiliations
Independent (before 2003)
Spouse
Joseph Daley
(m. 2001)
Children 2
Education

Kelly Ann Ayotte (born June 27, 1968) is an American lawyer and politician. She is the 83rd and current governor of New Hampshire. A governor is the leader of a state's government.

Before becoming governor, Ayotte served in other important roles. She was a United States Senator for New Hampshire from 2011 to 2017. A senator helps make laws for the whole country in Washington, D.C. She was also the attorney general of New Hampshire from 2004 to 2009, serving as the state's top lawyer.

Ayotte is a member of the Republican Party. She is one of only three women in U.S. history to have been elected as both a governor and a U.S. senator.

Early Life and Education

Kelly Ann Ayotte was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, on June 27, 1968. She grew up in Nashua and went to Nashua High School.

After high school, she went to Pennsylvania State University and studied political science. Later, she attended Villanova University School of Law and earned a J.D., which is a degree for lawyers. While in law school, she was an editor for the school's Environmental Law Journal.

Early Career

After finishing law school, Ayotte began her career in law. She first worked as a clerk for a judge at the New Hampshire Supreme Court. From 1994 to 1998, she worked for a law firm in Manchester.

In 1998, Ayotte started working as a prosecutor for the state of New Hampshire. A prosecutor's job is to represent the government in court cases. In 2003, she briefly worked as the legal counsel, or main lawyer, for Governor Craig Benson.

New Hampshire Attorney General

In 2004, Governor Benson appointed Ayotte to be the attorney general of New Hampshire. The attorney general is the highest-ranking lawyer and law enforcement officer for the state government. Ayotte was the first and only woman to ever hold this job in New Hampshire.

As attorney general, she worked on important legal issues for the state. For example, she joined other states to sue the federal government to make sure rules protecting clean air were kept strong. She was reappointed to the job twice by Governor John Lynch, who was from a different political party.

Ayotte left the position in 2009 to run for the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Senate

Kelly Ayotte, Official Portrait, 112th Congress 2
Ayotte's official U.S. Senate portrait, 2011

In 2010, Ayotte won the election to become a U.S. Senator for New Hampshire. She served one six-year term in the Senate, which is part of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C.

In 2016, she ran for reelection but lost to Maggie Hassan in a very close race. The final vote was decided by only 1,017 votes.

Work in the Senate

During her time as a senator, Ayotte worked on many different issues. She served on important groups called committees, including the Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security Committee.

Helping Students and Businesses

Ayotte worked to improve education in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math). She wanted to encourage more girls and students from all backgrounds to study these subjects. She also supported programs that teach job skills in schools.

She also stood up for New Hampshire's fishermen. When a government agency wanted to pass new costs on to the fishermen, she brought officials to New Hampshire to hear from them directly. The agency later changed its plan.

National Security

As a member of the Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, Ayotte was seen as a leader on national security. She focused on making sure the United States was safe from threats. She supported a strong military and was a critic of the nuclear deal with Iran.

Supporting the Military and Veterans

Kelly Ayotte speaks with Company Grade Officers with the New Hampshire National Guard
Senator Ayotte meets with junior officers of the New Hampshire National Guard

Ayotte worked to support military bases in New Hampshire, like the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Pease Air National Guard Base.

She also helped pass laws to improve healthcare for veterans (people who have served in the military). She wanted to make sure they could get medical care close to home. She also worked on laws to improve mental health services for veterans and their families.

Managing Government Money

Ayotte believed the government should be careful with its spending. She supported a balanced budget amendment, which would require the government to not spend more money than it takes in. She also worked on laws to get rid of wasteful spending in government programs.

Supporting Women and Families

Ayotte introduced a bill to help make sure men and women are paid equally for the same work. She also worked with Senator Jeanne Shaheen on a bill to protect pregnant women from being treated unfairly at work. She supported policies that would make it easier for working parents to have flexible schedules and find affordable childcare.

Post-Senate Career

After leaving the Senate in 2017, Ayotte served on the board of directors for several large companies. A board of directors helps guide a company's decisions. Some of these companies included Caterpillar Inc., News Corp., and BAE Systems.

Governor of New Hampshire

U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte from New Hampshire speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)
Senator Ayotte speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)

In 2024, after Governor Chris Sununu announced he would not run again, Ayotte decided to run for governor of New Hampshire. She won the election against Democratic nominee Joyce Craig.

She took office on January 9, 2025. As governor, she is the head of the state's executive branch. Ayotte is the third woman to be elected governor of New Hampshire, after Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan.

Political Views

Kelly Ayotte is a member of the Republican Party. Her political views are generally considered fiscally conservative, which means she often supports lower taxes and careful government spending.

While in the Senate, she was ranked as one of the more bipartisan members, meaning she was willing to work with politicians from the Democratic Party to pass laws.

Personal Life

In 2001, Ayotte married Joseph Daley. He is a veteran of the Iraq War and used to be a pilot in the Air National Guard. Now, he owns a small business. They have two children.

Electoral History

U.S. Senate Republican primary election in New Hampshire, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kelly Ayotte 53,056 38.21%
Republican Ovide Lamontagne 51,397 37.01%
Republican Bill Binnie 19,508 14.05%
Republican Jim Bender 12,611 9.08%
Republican Dennis Lamare 1,388 1.00%
Republican Tom Alciere 499 0.36%
Republican Gerard Beloin 402 0.29%
U.S. Senate election in New Hampshire, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kelly Ayotte 273,210 60.09%
Democratic Paul Hodes 167,545 36.85%
Independent Chris Booth 9,194 2.02%
Libertarian Ken Blevens 4,753 1.05%
U.S. Senate election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Maggie Hassan 354,268 48.2%
Republican Kelly Ayotte (incumbent) 353,525 48.1%
Independent Aaron Day 17,702 2%
Libertarian Brian Chabot 12,988 1.7%
New Hampshire Gubernatorial Election, 2024
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kelly Ayotte 435,400 53.6%
Democratic Joyce Craig 360,068 44.3%
Libertarian Stephen Villee 16,919 2.1%

See also

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