Republicans hold New Hampshire governor's mansion with Kelly Ayotte win

Why it matters: Ayotte's victory solidifies her political comeback after she lost her Senate seat in 2018 by fewer than 800 votes.

• She secured the support of outgoing Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who chose not to run for a fifth term.

The Republican's campaign against Craig — and her most effective TV ads — centered on claims that Craig would raise taxes in New Hampshire.

• While she had, in fact, vowed not to increase taxes, Craig had campaigned to stop the scheduled repeal of the state's existing taxes on interest and dividend income.

Ayotte's ads also put an unflattering spotlight on the state's largest city, Manchester, where Craig was mayor from 2018 to the beginning of this year.

• Ayotte claimed Craig's leadership led to an increase in crime and homelessness that plagued the downtown area.

• Craig responded with statistics showing a decrease in crime and overdose deaths over her time in office.

The race drew attention to Ayotte's record on abortion access. In ads and on the campaign trail, Ayotte has said she won't alter a 2022 state law that limits abortions after 24 weeks.

• She's also vowed to veto any proposed law that would be more restrictive.
• In the Senate, Ayotte had strong support from anti-abortion groups and voted for a national ban after 20 weeks.