Kelly Ann Ayotte (/ˈeɪɒt/ AY-ott;[2] born June 27, 1968) is an American attorney and politician serving since 2025 as the 83rd governor of New Hampshire.

[19] As assistant attorney general, Ayotte prosecuted two defendants for the 2001 Dartmouth College murders in Etna, New Hampshire.

As attorney general, Ayotte prosecuted the high-profile case surrounding the 2006 murder of Manchester police officer Michael Briggs in the line of duty.

[26] While attorney general, Ayotte served as a member of the Public Advisory Board at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.

[28] In 2013, Ayotte attended a forum at Saint Anselm College to explain the Never Contract With the Enemy Act (S. 675), which she co-sponsored with Richard Blumenthal.

[31][32] The crowded Republican primary field included former congressional and gubernatorial candidate Ovide M. Lamontagne, businessman and owner of NH1 News William Harrison Binnie, and State Representative Tom Alciere.

[56][57] She backed successful efforts to better look after kids in schools who are struggling with addiction issues at home and to stop the flow of drugs across the southern border.

[44][58] Ayotte was a vocal proponent of reauthorizing the Perkins Loan program, as she argued roughly 5,000 New Hampshire students relied on it.

[72][73] Ayotte sponsored 217 bills, including:[74] During her time in the Senate, Ayotte received a number of awards for her legislative activity from various civic organizations and interest groups, including the National Retail Federation,[80] CCAGW PAC,[81] the AARP,[82] Save the Children,[83] the New Hampshire Veterans of Foreign Wars,[84] the National Association of Police Organizations,[85] and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

[86] Ayotte was named to several corporate boards of directors, including those of Caterpillar Inc., News Corp., BAE Systems, Boston Properties, Blink Health, Bloom Energy, and Blackstone Group.

[88] Throughout the race, the election was considered a tossup, as neither Ayotte nor Democratic nominee Joyce Craig had a clear lead in polling.

[99] During her gubernatorial campaign, Ayotte expressed fiscally conservative positions, using the slogan "Don't Mass it up" to contrast her views "against more liberal Massachusetts to the south".

[118] In March 2015, Ayotte voted for an amendment to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund to allow employees to earn paid sick time.

[123][124] During the standoff over increasing the national debt limit in 2011, Ayotte pushed for greater cuts in government spending and voted against the eventual deal.

She said that the legislation failed to directly address problems with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and imposed additional regulatory burdens on community banks.

[128] In 2012, Ayotte voted with four other Republican senators to defeat a proposal to block the Environmental Protection Agency from promulgating the first federal standards regulating air pollution from power plants.

[136] In November 2013, amid growing concerns over the launch of HealthCare.gov, particularly relating to delays associated with initial online signups for health coverage, Ayotte called for a "time out" on the ACA, suggesting instead to "convene a group of bipartisan leaders to address health care concerns in this country because this is not working.

"[137] Ayotte supported state-administered healthcare programs such as SCHIP and federal tax credits that serve to reduce the number of uninsured.

[138] Ayotte received the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Congressional Award in recognition of her support for increasing mental health resources.

[139] Ayotte advocated passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which was intended to address opioid abuse.

[140] Ayotte joined all Senate Republicans in refusing to hold a hearing on the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.

[162] In 2014, she and Claire McCaskill led passage of a bill to reform the way the military handles sexual assaults, increase prosecutions, and improve support for survivors.

[166] In 2013, Ayotte opposed legislation offered by Joe Manchin and Pat Toomey to mandate background checks for all commercial gun sales.

She voted for an amendment to increase funding for the background check system and enhance the definition of "mental competency" for purchasing firearms.

[174] Ayotte also backed new sanctions on North Korea in the wake of purported nuclear tests and called for a tougher stance on Russia.

[177][178] In October 2014, Ayotte wrote an op-ed in The Hill criticizing Mahmoud Abbas, writing that the Palestinian Authority president "has embarked on a destructive course harmful to the prospects for rebuilding Gaza and achieving Israeli–Palestinian peace.

"[179] In October 2011, Ayotte cosponsored a bill with John McCain to control costs associated with major defense acquisition programs.

[121] She opposed the Defense Department's wish to retire the U.S.'s fleet of Cold War-era A-10 Thunderbolt II jets and redirect those funds elsewhere, arguing that there was no adequate replacement for the plane and citing her husband's experiences flying the A-10 while in the Air Force.

She said that the Pentagon told her in 2015 that 93 percent of the detainees in Guantanamo Bay were considered "high risk" for returning to terrorist activities.

[185] Daley is retired from the Air National Guard and owns a small landscaping and snow plow business in Merrimack.