Ayotte wins another term as New Hampshire governor

(The Center Square) — New Hampshire's GOP Gov. Kelly Ayotte won a hard-fought second term Tuesday, defying a midterm backlash against Republicans that saw her party lose control of the state Legislature and Congress. 

Ayotte, a former U.S. senator, fended off a challenge from Democrat Cinde Warmington, a former state Executive Council member, according to an unofficial tally by the Associated Press, which called the race early Wednesday morning.

Ayotte had 51% to Warmington's 47%, the AP reported. Libertarian Party gubernatorial candidate Stephen Vilee was also on Tuesday's ballot. 

"It's the honor of my life to serve as your Governor, and I'm ready to continue our work together to keep our state safe, prosperous and free," Ayotte posted on social media early Wednesday. “I promise to work tirelessly to ensure that we defend the New Hampshire Advantage and keep working to solve our housing crisis, make childcare more affordable, and bring down energy prices."

"I believe in our state and our people, and together we will work to make life more affordable for everyone," Ayotte added.

Warmington issued a statement Wednesday morning conceding the race, thanking her supporters, and congratulating Ayotte on her victory. 

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“From the very beginning, this campaign was about putting the needs of working families first and fighting for a future where they can actually get ahead," Warmington said. “And while this isn’t the outcome that we were hoping for, I am so proud of the race we ran and the support we earned across the state."

Ayotte's victory marks the ninth consecutive win for Republicans in the governor's race, which is held every two years.

But the race was competitive in a state that saw big gains by state Democrats and Warmington was leading much of the night, but the race tightened up as more precincts reported results. 

Further down the ballot, New Hampshire Democrats appeared poised to take over the state House of Representatives and Senate with veto-proof majorities, which could frustrate her legislative agenda for the next two years. 

Democrats also appeared poised to win a majority on the state five-member Executive Council, a powerful legislative panel that acts as a check on the governor's powers.