Morse, Ayotte “Aim to Repackage” Their Unpopular Records in Primary Battle to the Far-Right

Morse, Ayotte “Aim to Repackage” Their Unpopular Records in Primary Battle to the Far-Right

A new report from New Hampshire Public Radio sets the record straight on former U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte’s and Chuck Morse’s track records as the Republican primary heats up. As NHPR points out, both Morse and Ayotte are grappling with how their very public and extreme records are being received by New Hampshire voters, including on former President Trump, abortion, immigration, and Ayotte cashing in after serving on corporate boards:

• On Morse and Trump: “…in his 2022 bid for the U.S. Senate, [Morse] lost in the primary to retired U.S. Army Gen. Don Bolduc, who aligned himself with former President Donald Trump…” Morse instead “backed former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the 2016 presidential primary.”
• On Ayotte and Trump: “Navigating a fraught personal history with former President Trump, who Ayotte now supports, is another challenge. Back in 2016, Ayotte rescinded her endorsement of Trump….” This year, Ayotte endorsed him again.
• On abortion: Morse urged voters to “judge him based on … a ban on almost all abortions…” he helped pass which excludes exceptions for rape and incest and calls for civil and criminal penalties of up to $100,000 — a toxic record that rivals Ayotte’s record of attacking reproductive freedom in the U.S. Senate.
• On immigration: Ayotte’s new hardline stance “appears to be an effort to blunt criticism of her record on immigration in the U.S. Senate, which includes a vote for an immigration reform bill…that included a path to citizenship for people who entered the country illegally.” This has been a line of attack against Ayotte from Morse throughout the primary, forcing the NHGOP to beg their candidates to stop fighting.
• On Ayotte cashing out: “Ayotte’s made millions by sitting on corporate boards,” and her “[aim] to repack that golden parachute and jump back into elective office” is “less typical.” This follows previous reporting from NBC News outlining Ayotte’s attempt at a return to politics “after a lucrative detour into the corporate board circuit” where she “nett[ed] millions.”

“Chuck Morse and Kelly Ayotte are trying to downplay, backtrack, or simply lie to New Hampshire voters about their toxic track records, but it won’t work,” said DGA States Press Secretary Emma O’Brien. “While Morse and Ayotte fight to be the most extreme candidate in this race, they’re proving every day to New Hampshire voters that they’re just typical politicians and not fit for the corner office.”

Read more on the state of the Republican primary from NHPR here. 

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