NH-SEN

Ayotte And Hodes Trade Personal Attacks At First NH-SEN Debate (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | October 11, 2010, 5:57PM

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

In a debate that got moderately tense earlier on Monday, New Hampshire senatorial candidates Kelly Ayotte and Paul Hodes mostly focused on jobs and taxes, but managed to get in a few personal attacks along the way.

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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%.

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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Bill Binnie

NH-SEN Republican: 'English Is The Language Of America' -- And 'Even The Internet' (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | August 12, 2010, 5:24PM

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

Bill Binnie, who is running in the Republican primary for senator of New Hampshire, put up a web video on his campaign website yesterday, promising that, if elected, he will make sure "all immigrants learn English." After all, he says, it's the "language of America," and "it's the language of international commerce, science, and even the internet."

Apparently Binnie has never seen the video of the Russian Trololo guy.

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NH-SEN

Rasmussen Poll: GOPer Ayotte Leads Hodes By 13 In NH-SEN Race

Marc Kilstein | August 9, 2010, 10:40AM

US Senate primary candidate Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)

A new Rasmussen poll of the New Hampshire Senate race finds Republican Kelly Ayotte -- the front runner in the Republican primary -- with a 13-point lead over Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes, 51%-38%. The latest numbers show Hodes down six points to GOP hopeful Bill Binnie, 46%-40%.

Ayotte has held an advantage in the polls through the duration of the campaign. The last Rasmussen poll, conducted on July 12, showed her leading Hodes 49%-37%. In late July, a University of New Hampshire survey found similar results, with Ayotte on top 45%-37%. A PPP poll from July 25 showed a much closer contest, with the GOPer holding a slight 3-point lead -- a statistical tie, given the survey's ±3.26 margin of error -- but no other poll in the last few months has produced a similar result.

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NH-SEN

Poll: GOPer Ayotte Leads Dem Hodes By 8 In NH Senate Race

Thomas Rhiel | July 28, 2010, 6:50PM

Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH)

The University of New Hampshire is out with some new polling (PDF) of the state's Senate race, and the numbers still don't look all that good for Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes. The new poll shows Republican Kelly Ayotte -- the frontrunner in the GOP primary -- leading Hodes 45%-37% among likely voters. Bill Binnie, another possible contender for the Republican nomination, also leads Hodes 41%-38%.

Still, there is some good news here for the Democrat -- the poll does show Hodes gaining ground on his likely Republican opponent. The university's last survey -- from April -- showed Ayotte leading Hodes 47%-32%.

A PPP poll released yesterday showed an even tighter race, with Hodes down only three points against Ayotte.

The TPM Poll Average of the race shows Ayotte with a 47.2%-37.9% lead over Hodes. The TPM Poll Average shows Binnie ahead of Hodes 45.2%-39.1%. The margin of error for the latest University of New Hampshire is ±4.6 percentage points. The primary is September 14.

NH-SEN

PPP Poll: Dem Rep. Paul Hodes (Just Barely) Trails Top GOPers In NH Senate Race

Thomas Rhiel | July 27, 2010, 12:26PM

Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH)

A new PPP (D) survey (PDF) of the New Hampshire Senate race shows Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes trailing both of his most likely Republican opponents -- but just barely. The survey found Republican Kelly Ayotte leading Hodes 45%-42% and Republican Bill Binnie ahead of Hodes 46%-41%.

The last PPP poll of the race -- from April -- showed Ayotte with a seven-point lead over Hodes, and Binnie with a five-point lead.

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NH-SEN

New Hodes TV Ad In NH-SEN: Kelly Ayotte 'Ducked Responsibility 44 Times' (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | July 20, 2010, 3:28PM

Rep. Paul Hodes (D), who is running for senator in New Hampshire, released a new attack ad today against Republican candidate Kelly Ayotte, saying she "ducked responsibility 44 times" when it came to the Financial Resources Mortgage fraud investigation.

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2010 elections

Sign Of The Times: Dems Could Lose Both New Hampshire House Seats

Eric Kleefeld | April 22, 2010, 1:14PM

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)

A new set of numbers from Public Policy Polling (D) finds a sharp indication of how Democratic fortunes have been declining: In the state of New Hampshire, where the party dramatically picked up both House seats and made other huge gains in 2006 and 2008, both seats could very well slip away this time around.

The First District is held by Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, who defeated incumbent Republican Jeb Bradley in 2006 and is seeking her third term this year. The Second District is currently held by Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes, who defeated incumbent Republican Charlie Bass in 2006 and is now vacating the seat in order to run for Senate. Both seats could potentially go to the Republicans.

"In the Democratic wave year of 2006 New Hampshire's Republican house delegation was wiped out," writes PPP president Dean Debnam. "2010 looks like it may be a GOP wave year, and the Democrats could face the same fate."

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2010 elections

First Quarter Fundraising Roundup

Ben Frumin | April 13, 2010, 5:39PM

Lt. Gov. Bill Halter (D-AR) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)

Here are some key fundraising numbers from today:

• Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) may be in a bit of trouble. Between Jan. 1 and March 31, Lincoln raised $1.34 million. That's less than the $2 million her Democratic primary opponent, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter, said he raised just in the month of March.

  Still, the TPM Poll Average for the Lincoln-Halter primary on May 18 shows Lincoln ahead by a margin of 46.0% to 30.3%.

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Topics: 2010 elections, Bill Halter, Blanche Lincoln, Carly Fiorina, House '10, Michael Bennet, Paul Hodes