State House Dome: Ayotte vs. Warmington on abortion, debates
May 3—IT WAS TIME for Kelly Ayotte, Republican candidate for governor, to fire back at the "other" Democrat running for governor, Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington of Concord.
Warmington had challenged Ayotte to a debate on abortion rights, accusing the GOP frontrunner of trying to hide her past voting record in the U.S. Senate.
First on WMUR's "Close Up" program and many times since, Ayotte has gone after Warmington on her past as a lobbyist/lawyer for Purdue Pharma.
"You know, what I'd like to know from Cinde Warmington is: How does she even sleep at night when she actually went before our Legislature and asked them, working for Purdue Pharma, making money for Purdue Pharma, and asked them to lessen regulations on Oxycontin?" Ayotte said.
"With all the people that have died in this state as a result of that drug and then the continuing fentanyl crisis we face ... I've met those families every day. So if she wants to have a debate about that, I'm happy to have it."
Warmington jumped at the offer.
"Thanks for accepting my debate challenge," Warmington posted on X, formerly Twitter.
"Let's work out the time & place. I'll gladly set the record straight about the decades you've spent working to restrict abortion rights & the decades I've spent working to help families w/ substance use disorder."
Ayotte has spent much of this campaign attacking former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, especially Craig's past support for a sanctuary city policy.
When Craig said she objected to the term "illegal alien," during that same WMUR program, Ayotte pounced on that, too.
"It is the legal definition in our federal regulations. Guess what? They violated the law, they are here illegally and they are alien under the law," Ayotte said on "Good Morning New Hampshire" with Jack Heath.
"If she doesn't have the strength to say what is, how is she going to be in position as governor to keep our state safe?"
Noveletsky on borders
1st Congressional District Republican candidate Hollie Noveletsky began airing her first campaign ad this past week on illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
"When I'm in Congress, securing the border — both borders — will be job number one," Noveletsky says at the close of the 30-second spot, which is airing only on less-expensive digital platforms.
Amplify attacks Ayotte
A liberal advocacy group opposing Ayotte began airing digital ads critical of her record in the U.S. Senate on abortion rights and access to in vitro fertilization.
"For decades, Kelly Ayotte's political career revolved around banning abortion and limiting IVF access. Our ads will remind Granite Staters that contrary to her recent attempts to re-write the record, this is who Ayotte is," Amplify NH Executive Director Ryan Mahoney said in a statement.
"Time and time again, Kelly Ayotte's words and actions don't match up, proving she can't be trusted to defend reproductive rights or to stand up to extremists in her party."
Ayotte issued a statement defending her record and criticizing the sponsor of these spots.
"It's shameful that national dark money groups are spreading misinformation and lying to the women of New Hampshire about my positions, as I have made it clear that I will increase funding for women's healthcare, protect Granite State families' access to IVF, and support New Hampshire's current law, which protects women's freedom to obtain an abortion for any reason up to six months of pregnancy," Ayotte said.
Sununu backs flag
Governor For A Day Andrew Flockton's big passion is trying to change the state flag.
He has prepared his own design, which incorporates both a silhouette of the Old Man of the Mountain and the Live Free or Die motto on a canvas of blue and white.
"I gotta tell you, I kind of love it," Sununu told reporters.
A House committee rebuffed Flockton a few months ago when he tried to get his design amended to a bill with another depiction.
"Now the governor wants to change the flag," deadpanned Rep. Tim McGough, R-Merrimack, who had sponsored that earlier flag bill.
Flockton said he already has lined up a sponsor to file a bill with his design in September for the 2025 session.
He points out the ship depicted in the state's current flag, the frigate Raleigh, was made in Maine, not New Hampshire. It eventually was captured by the British Royal Navy in 1777.
Trifecta Tom for Ayotte
Former U.S. Attorney Tom Colantuono of Londonderry has thrown his support behind Ayotte.
Before serving in the George W. Bush administration, Colantuono was in the state Senate and served a term on the Executive Council representing Greater Manchester.
This one might sting a bit for Morse, who has managed to get many of his past Senate colleagues to join his camp. The latest addition was Senate Majority Whip Regina Birdsell of Hampstead.
Colantuono served in the Senate before Morse got there.
Ayotte has attracted the entire Republican delegation in Coos County, along with the county commissioners and county sheriff.
The latest pickups were Reps. James Tierney of Groveton and Seth King of Whitefield.
This past week, Morse also got Rep. Kristine Perez, R-Londonderry.
The Morse camp said it had 500 attendees confirmed for this past Thursday's fundraiser in Atkinson.
Morse website targets Ayotte on immigration
Morse has targeted immigration as the wedge issue he will try to exploit in his bid to upset Ayotte, the front-runner for the GOP nomination for governor,
The Morse campaign has created a website devoted to attacking Ayotte on this issue.
"Kelly Ayotte talks like a conservative but votes like a liberal," is the opening text on amnestyayotte.com.
"In fact, on the issue of amnesty, there's very little daylight between Kelly's votes and the positions of the two leading Democrats running for governor in New Hampshire."
The campaign invites illegal immigration opponents to sign a petition "to tell Kelly Ayotte no on amnesty."
Ayotte has made opposition to any amnesty proposals and the robust prosecution of illegal immigration a centerpiece of her campaign.
She also has charged that as Senate president Morse didn't do anything to pass anti-sanctuary city legislation, like that tabled by the New Hampshire House on Thursday.
House GOP loses seat
The GOP's majority in the New Hampshire House got a little tighter with the resignation of two-term Rep. Tina Harley, R-Seabrook, who moved out of the district.
The current breakdown has the GOP with 200 seats, Dems with 194 and independents with 2. Four seats are vacant.
Gov quiet on controversy
Gov. Chris Sununu was uncharacteristically quiet when asked about reports swirling around Geno Marconi, longtime director of the New Hampshire Port Authority.
"I'll have to refer you to the PDA (Pease Development Authority) on that," Sununu said.
PDA officials have said only that Marconi has been placed on administrative leave. They gave no reason and did not indicate how long he could be out.
Marconi is married to Supreme Court Associate Justice Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi.
Senior judge to retire
David King of Colebrook, administrative judge of the circuit court, announced he will retire July 1.
King, who does not turn the mandatory retirement age of 70 until Feb. 10, 2029, has served 34 years on the bench, including 17 as a county probate judge and the past 17 running the probate and circuit court systems at different times.
Former state Senate Finance Committee Chairman Fred King is his father.
On Wednesday, Sununu nominated Lindsey Courtney of Concord, the director of the state licensing bureau, to a circuit court judgeship.
Courtney has carried Sununu's campaign to professionalize the licensing system while streamlining it to be more business-friendly.
Another round for the boss
Sununu has nominated Employment Security Commissioner George Copadis of Manchester to another five-year term. Copadis has held the post since 2012.
New Hampshire continues to have one of the lowest jobless rates in the country, and the state has a massive surplus in the unemployment compensation fund from which it pays benefits.
Nominee for Ag spot
Joshua Marshall of Canterbury is Sununu's choice to become the first assistant director of the state Division of Agriculture, Markets and Food.
Marshall, who has had a major policy role in the agency, previously was a top policy staffer in the state Senate.
The Legislature created the position in the current state budget.
"First guy to hold the job — no pressure there," quipped Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield.
Pappas condemns protests
U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., became the first member of the all-Democratic congressional delegation to speak out publicly on the college campus protests of Israeli military actions.
"As antisemitic incidents in the United States continue to rise at alarming rates, including disturbing acts of vandalism and graffiti here in New Hampshire, we must all stand united and say with one voice that there is no place for antisemitism in this country," Pappas said.
"Today and every day we must reaffirm our commitment to ending hatred, bigotry, and antisemitism in all its forms."
Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., voted for the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which easily cleared the U.S. House, 320-91, this past week.
More support for Craig
The Laborers' International Union of North America's Massachusetts and Northern New England District Council and two New Hampshire locals, Local 668 and Local 976, are backing Craig's bid for governor.
The LIUNA council represents more than 20,000 laborers across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.
Warmington picks up one
Former U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes of Concord gave Warmington another "name" Democrat among her backers.
As longtime lawyers in the Capital City, the two frequently have crossed paths.
The pickup underlines that the primary for governor, with a few exceptions, has very much been a Manchester Crew vs. Concord Gang contest.
Immunization bill status
A Senate panel recommended sending to interim study a House-passed bill (HB 1213) that would eliminate an immunization reporting requirement for child care agencies.
"Unfortunately, a few bad actors decided to intentionally misrepresent the bill as removing a vaccination requirement, which was designed to scare the public," said Rep. Ross Berry, R-Manchester, and House Majority Leader Jason Osborne, R-Auburn, in a joint statement.
No surprise: DNC blinks
New Hampshire's delegates to the Democratic National Convention will have full privileges after completing the "delegation selection process" during a Democratic state committee meeting last weekend.
The party called it a "party-run delegate selection primary," which allowed the DNC to save face after New Hampshire defied party leadership to keep New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary, won by President Joe Biden in a write-in campaign.
Now the real question: Will New Hampshire delegates be able to see the Chicago convention hall from their assigned hotel rooms?
Kevin Landrigan is State House Bureau Chief for the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News. Contact him at klandrigan@unionleader.com.
