Democrat Hassan declares victory in New Hampshire Senate race

Ayotte, the former state attorney general, had tried to teeter between saying she’d vote for Donald Trump but not endorsing him. After winning by over 20 points in 2010, the voters sent Ayotte a strong message that they reject her cronyism and meddling inappropriately in other races for the objective of her own career advancement.

Hassan’s and Ayotte’s campaigns spent another $34 million on the race combined, according to campaign finance reports. In the closing days of the election, HRC released two digital ads in support of Hassan, “Clinton & Hassan For Equality” and “Raymond Braun Reflects on Why He Came Out to Maggie Hassan”.

Clinton beat Trump by 1.437 votes in the battle for the state’s four electoral votes.

But by midday Wednesday, Ayotte seemed unready to concede.

After a long, well-financed, neck-and-neck campaign, the race for United States Senate in New Hampshire could be headed for a recount. She said she’s the “glue that keeps her family together” and praised Hassan for her work with her 25-year-old son, Ben, who has cerebral palsy. But she said she felt “really upbeat” about her chances.

Ayotte’s reluctance to support federal gun control legislation was another big turn-off.

“She’s had a lot of challenges with her son, some of us will never know”, Patton said. We are so grateful.

“I spoke to him this morning and pledged to do everything I can to ensure a smooth and successful transition”, Hassan said of Sununu. “Every vote matters, because every person matters in this state”.

And with early returns coming in, Ayotte holds a roughly 10,000 vote lead over Ayotte. “She’s a really good leader”. Hassan’s lead was even smaller than that.

The campaign said these numbers include results from big communities the Associated Press had yet to count like Salem, Derry, Lebanon, and Portsmouth.

At Hassan headquarters at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester, supporters started arriving about 7 p.m.

The governor headed home for the night and urged supporters to go home and get some sleep. Mark Kirk had always been considered the most endangered Republican incumbent, as he faced a strong challenger in a state that favors Democrats in presidential election years.

Ayotte vs. Hassan, the only Senate matchup to feature two women, had been one of the year’s tightest contests throughout the campaign and remained so on election night.

New Hampshire trailed only Pennsylvania in attack ads against Republicans.

Republicans hold a 54-46 majority in the Senate, including two independent senators who caucus with the Democrats.