2010 elections

Release The Chamber: Biz Group Goes On The Air In Key Senate Races (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | September 21, 2010, 1:29PM

U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Donohue

The U.S. Chamber Of Commerce is dropping a flurry of TV ads in key Senate races across the country as we step into the final weeks of 2010 election season. The group has pledged $75 million in spending this cycle -- and if the first $2 million is any judge, most of that money is going to help Republicans.

Via the AP:

[The Chamber] has the biggest footprint, spending $1 million in Florida against Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running for the Senate as an independent. The chamber has endorsed the Republican candidate, Marco Rubio. The chamber is spending $500,000 in Kentucky against Democrat Jack Conway. The chamber this week endorsed Republican Rand Paul, and it is spending about $300,000 in New Hampshire against Senate Democratic candidate Paul Hodes and $250,000 in Colorado against Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet.

Not all of the Chamber's support is going to the GOP however. Just today, the Chamber announced it's backing Gov. Joe Manchin (D-WV) in the special election to fill the late Robert Byrd's Senate seat. No word yet on whether the group will buy pro-Manchin ads, but some recent polling shows the governor may need the help.

Here now are a sample of the Chamber's all-negative, all pro-GOP TV ads up across the country at the moment:

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American Crossroads

Rove-Backed Group Attacks Hodes For 'Fiscal Conservative' Claim (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | September 21, 2010, 11:36AM

Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH)

A new ad by Karl Rove-backed outside group American Crossroads attacks New Hampshire Senate nominee Rep. Paul Hodes (D) for calling himself a "fiscal conservative" in a recent ad.

"Hodes voted for the pork-filled stimulus bill," the American Crossroads ad says. "$1.9 million to study ants in Africa. $39 million for office upgrades for politicians. Billions wasted and unemployment still higher."

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Kelly Ayotte

Dem Paul Hodes In NH-SEN TV Ad: I'm A 'Fiscal Conservative'

Jillian Rayfield | September 17, 2010, 5:50PM

Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH)

Democratic New Hampshire senatorial candidate Paul Hodes has an interesting way of describing himself in a recent TV ad: "You deserve a senator," he says, "who's a real fiscal conservative."

The TPM Poll Average gives Hodes' Republican opponent Kelly Ayotte a lead of 48.7%-41.0%.

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NH-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: Ayotte Leads Hodes by 7 Points In NH-SEN

Eric Kleefeld | September 16, 2010, 12:14PM

NH-SEN candidates Kelly Ayotte (R) and Paul Hodes (D)

The new Rasmussen poll of the New Hampshire Senate race gives Republican former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, who just narrowly won her primary this past Tuesday, a seven-point lead over Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes.

The numbers: Ayotte 51%, Hodes 44%. The survey of likely voters has a ±4.5% margin of error. In the previous Rasmussen poll from early August, Ayotte led Hodes by 51%-38%.

The TPM Poll Average gives Ayotte a lead of 48.7%-41.0%.

NH-SEN

PPP Poll: Ayotte Leads Hodes By 4 Points In NH-SEN Race

Eric Kleefeld | September 15, 2010, 4:02PM

NH-SEN candidates Kelly Ayotte (R) and Paul Hodes (D)

Some new poll numbers for the New Hampshire Senate race from Public Policy Polling (D), conducted over the weekend before yesterday's primary, show Republican former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte starting the general election with a small lead over Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes.

The numbers: Ayotte 47%, Hodes 43%. The survey of likely voters has a ±2.2% margin of error. In the previous PPP survey from mid-July -- which used a more permissive and Dem-friendly registered voter screen -- Ayotte led Hodes by a similar 45%-42% margin. The TPM Poll Average gives Ayotte a lead of 48.0%-40.0%.

Interestingly, the poll also shows that Ayotte's opponent that she very narrowly defeated in the Republican primary, Ovide Lamontagne, would not have had any significant difference in electability against Hodes. In this survey, Lamontagne leads Hodes by 47%-44%.

Kelly Ayotte

Kelly Ayotte Declared Winner Of NH Senate Republican Primary

Jillian Rayfield | September 15, 2010, 1:27PM

Kelly Ayotte

After an extremely close race, former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte has won the Republican nomination for senator in New Hampshire, the secretary of state has announced. Ayotte leads tea party-backed Ovide Lamontagne by little more than 1,600 votes.

Lamontagne had shown signs of a surge in the past few weeks, and the closeness of the results may mean that he could possibly call for a recount.

If the results stand, Ayotte will face Rep. Paul Hodes (D) in the general election.

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NH-SEN

Report: Final Result Coming Soon In NH-SEN Republican Primary

Eric Kleefeld | September 15, 2010, 12:48PM

The New Hampshire Republican Senate primary is still too close to call -- but might not be for long, the Union Leader reports, with a result possibly coming soon. As of right now, establishment-backed Kelly Ayotte has a very narrow lead over Tea Party-backed candidate Ovide Lamontagne.

Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan told the paper that his office is getting close to a final result. "There are some numbers we want to double-check," said Scanlon.

With 90% of precincts reporting, Ayotte has a slim edge of 38%-37%, with a raw vote lead of just 1,120 votes.

NH-SEN

GOP Primary In New Hampshire Too Close To Call

Jillian Rayfield | September 15, 2010, 8:53AM

Update at 9:52 AM ET: With 85% of precincts reporting, Ayotte is now ahead 979 votes.

The Republican primary in New Hampshire has come down to former Attorney General Kelly Ayotte and Tea Party-backed Ovide LaMontagne, and the results are still too close to call.

With 83% of precincts reporting, Ayotte is ahead 38%-37%, which amounts to less than 1,000 votes.

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2010 elections

Tonight's Primaries: The Last Big Election Night Before November

Eric Kleefeld | September 14, 2010, 5:58PM

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Christine O'Donnell

Tonight marks the last major night of the 2010 primary season. And what a wild and wacky season it's been -- and could still prove to be tonight.

This is the last multi-state primary night this year. After tonight, the only one primary left is Hawaii's this Saturday.

So let's take a look at some of tonight's races. There are Tea Party insurgents against establishment GOP moderates, Dems fighting it out to keep their jobs, and a whole lot of fun throughout.

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Kelly Ayotte

Magellan Poll: Ayotte Only Leading Lamontagne By Four Points In NH-SEN Primary

Jillian Rayfield | September 13, 2010, 5:01PM

US Senate primary candidate Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)

More bad news for Kelly Ayotte: A Magellan poll released today shows the Republican establishment's preferred New Hampshire Senate candidate only leading her primary opponent Ovide Lamontagne 35%-31% ahead of tomorrow's primary.

LaMontagne, the Tea Party favorite, has been gaining some ground on the establishment-backed Ayotte over the past few weeks. The previous Magellan poll, from September 1, showed Ayotte leading Lamontagne 34-21. A PPP poll released today shows LaMontagne trailing Ayotte by seven points.

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Kelly Ayotte

PPP Poll: LaMontagne Closing Gap Against Ayotte In NH-SEN Primary

Jillian Rayfield | September 13, 2010, 10:01AM

Former NH Attorney General and Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte (R)

The New Hampshire Republican Senate primary tomorrow is getting even tighter, with a new PPP poll showing Tea Party-backed Ovide LaMontagne only trailing frontrunner (and establishment pick) Kelly Ayotte by seven points.

LaMontagne has gained serious ground since the last PPP poll in July, when he was trailing Ayotte by a whopping 39 points.

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Bill Binnie

NH-SEN Candidate Binnie: My Pro-Choice Stance Led To Death Threats

Jillian Rayfield | September 9, 2010, 3:16PM

Bill Binnie (R), candidate for US Senate in New Hampshire

Bill Binnie, a candidate in the Republican primary for senate in New Hampshire, has addressed rumors that he had received death threats over his pro-choice stance on abortion, telling the Conway Daily Sun: "Why am I being attacked by these outside groups? Do you think their motivation is anything other than that? Look who is attacking me, it's a real issue. I think (Thursday) we got over 1,000 pieces of mail to my home, 1,000. We don't answer our phone anymore.

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NH-SEN

Is Kelly Ayotte In Trouble In The NH-SEN Republican Primary?

Jillian Rayfield | September 8, 2010, 8:46AM

Former NH Attorney General and Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte (R)

Former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte was sailing along in New Hampshire's Republican senate primary. She was way ahead of her Republican opponents -- and her potential Dem rival Rep. Paul Hodes -- in the polls, was backed by the establishment GOP, and was even counted among the ranks of Sarah Palin's "mama grizzlies" when the former half-term governor endorsed Ayotte back in July.

But somewhere between the primary in-fighting and concerns about Ayotte's conservative record, former state Board of Education chairman and Tea Party-backed candidate Ovide Lamontagne began to gain some ground.

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NH-SEN

Magellan Poll: Ayotte Leads NH-SEN Republican Primary -- Tea Party-Backed Lamontagne Gaining Ground

Eric Kleefeld | September 3, 2010, 4:21PM

US Senate primary candidate Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)

The new Magellan Strategies (R) poll of the New Hampshire Senate primary shows former state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, the establishment choice for the GOP nomination, leading the wide-open field. But it's not a sure thing, with plenty of volatility in the numbers.

The numbers: Ayotte 34%, former state Board of Education chairman Ovide Lamontagne 21%, businessman Bill Binnie 17%, and businessman Jim Bender 13%. The survey of likely primary voters has a ±3.3% margin of error.

The previous Magellan poll from May had Ayotte at 38%, Binnie at 29%, Lamontagne at 9%, and Bender at only 4%. The TPM Poll Average has Ayotte at 36%, Binnie 23%, Lamontagne 15%, and Bender 8.5%.

The primary will be held on September 14.