Don Bolduc, a self-styled political outsider, has won New Hampshire’s Republican primary US Senate nominationNBC News plans to tackle the GOP establishment’s push to elevate state Senate President Chuck Morse.
Bolduk faces easily renominated Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan on Tuesday in what is expected to be one of the marquee matchups of the fall.
With two months to go before the general elections, Hasan is starting with cash strength. As of the end of August, he had raised $7.3 million, according to campaign finance reports. Bolduc reported $84,000.
The primary — the last major contest before November’s midterm elections — has become a national battleground, with outside money from both parties pouring into a state that could decide partisan control of the Senate.
Despite the other candidates, the GOP battle boiled down to a clash between insiders and outsiders. Morse, a longtime state legislator, received an endorsement from Gov. Chris Sununu. $4 million in wind protection From a group with ties to Republicans in Washington, DC
Retired Army Brigadier General Boldt has strong links with the right-wing base. He is known for incendiary rhetoric and promoting 2020 election conspiracies. Despite his underfunded campaign, Bolduc made a Democratic team do his worst. Spending more than $3 million Morse was first tagged as a yes-man for Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, a villain to many Republicans loyal to former President Donald Trump. Polls in the final weeks saw Bolt leading comfortably.
“Our campaign beat the odds and millions of dollars in spending from outside special interest groups because we created a truly grassroots campaign,” Bolduc said. Report.
I agree On Twitter overnight, Morse said he should focus on defeating Hassan in the fall.
Hassan, in a statement, called Bolduc “simply too radical” for the state.
“This campaign will be a stark contrast between my record for the people of New Hampshire and Dan Bolduc’s radical, backward-looking agenda,” he said.
Sununu, who is seeking his fourth consecutive two-year term as governor, was renominated on Tuesday, NBC News reported. He faces unopposed state Sen. Tom Sherman in the Democratic primary in the general election.
Meanwhile, in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional GOP primary, Carolyn Leavitt, a former Trump White House aide, defeated Matt Mowers, who worked in Trump’s State Department and is the party’s nominee for the seat in 2020. Will meet with Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas in November. Hillsborough County Treasurer Robert Burns has won the GOP primary for New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District, NBC News predicted Wednesday. He faces Democrat Rep. Ann Kuster.
Delaware and Rhode Island held primaries Tuesday for several state and federal races. President Joe Biden, who has a home in Delaware, made a last-minute trip to the state Tuesday evening to vote.
Although Bolduk entered the general election campaign as an underdog, a August poll A majority of voters from St. Anselm’s College disapproved of Hassan’s performance, suggesting vulnerability. Nationally, both parties see New Hampshire as a high-profile race this fall.
On Tuesday, Hassan and One Nation, the Republican caucus critical of the Senate race, were the biggest ad buyers in the Senate race, with $9.8 million each, according to ad tracking firm AdImpact. Morse spent $821,000 on ads, Bolduc $14,500.
It shouldn’t be this way for Republicans. Sununu, a popular and relatively moderate governor, whose family is well-known in state and national politics. Best recruiting target McConnell gave serious thought to running for and against. But Sununu Passed, leaving the GOP without a heavyweight contender. Bolduc, meanwhile, has gained name recognition since losing the 2020 Senate primary — and hasn’t stopped running for office since.
“I’ve been campaigning for two years now,” Bolduc said at a debate last week. “During these two years I visited every town and city. I know you are hurting. I will share it with you. I know you pay too much for everything. I will go to Washington DC as your ambassador to work hard to change this. I’ll give you a voice—a voice you don’t have right now.
Bolduc has held more than 50 town hall-style events, said Rick Wiley, his senior adviser.
“We’ve been doing little things with little money — but it’s him, it’s urgent,” Wiley said.
Morse relied on his experience. Sununu’s endorsement, released Thursday, may have come too late, but Morse leaned heavily on it in the candidates’ final debate before the primary that night.
“I am honored to have the endorsement of Gov. Chris Sununu,” he said. “As Senate president I worked with the governor to deliver the most conservative budget in the state’s history.”
Trump, despite swinging into other key primaries this year, pulled out of New Hampshire — even as a Republican. emphasized He takes sides. Boldt was considered the candidate most compatible with Trump’s movement. He called Sununu, a Trump critic.Chinese communist sympathizer.” He has Advanced denied claims Trump was reelected because of voter fraud. And he He questioned whether the FBI was necessary After the agency raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home. But Bolduc has been critical of the former president, most notably in 2020, when he accused Trump of political activity. “fraud” He supported that year’s Senate primary candidate, Garky Messner, against him.
Morse presents himself as a more traditional fiscal conservative and does not lean toward the election-denying conspiracy theories that other Trump allies hold. After a debate last week, he told reporters He would not have been opposed to certifying Biden’s victory.
Another Republican seeking the nomination, former Londonderry City Manager Kevin Smith, observed last week that the race has become a binary choice that many Republicans hate.
“Chuck Schumer, he’s given millions of dollars to Don Bolduc because we know he’s a weak candidate against Maggie Hassan,” Smith said in a televised speech. GOP debateThe super PAC spending money on anti-Morse ads mentions the Senate Democratic leader.
“So, if you want six more years of Mitch McConnell, vote for Chuck Morse,” Smith added. “If you want six more years for Maggie Hassan, vote for Don Boldt.”
