Kelly Ayotte: Difference between revisions
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=== Gay Marriage === |
=== Gay Marriage === |
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Ayotte is personally opposed to [[same-sex marriage]] and believes marriage should be left up to the respective churches.<ref name=ayotte/> She resigned as state Attorney General shortly after Governor [[John Lynch (New Hampshire)|John Lynch]] signed a set of three same sex marriage bills into law to which she was opposed.<ref>ref name="nh-marriage-law>NH RSA Chapter 475: "Marriages"</ref> |
Ayotte is personally opposed to [[same-sex marriage]] and believes marriage heterosexual marriage should be left up to the respective churches.<ref name=ayotte/> She resigned as state Attorney General shortly after Governor [[John Lynch (New Hampshire)|John Lynch]] signed a set of three same sex marriage bills into law to which she was opposed.<ref>ref name="nh-marriage-law>NH RSA Chapter 475: "Marriages"</ref> |
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=== Gun Rights === |
=== Gun Rights === |
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Revision as of 05:17, 9 February 2010
Kelly A. Ayotte (born 1968) was the Attorney General of New Hampshire from 2004 until 2009 and a member of the Republican Party.[1] She is a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010. She is widely seen as the front-runner for the Republican nomination and leads in aggregate polling against Democratic challengers by over seven percentage points.[2][3]
State Attorney General
In 2004, the year she took office, New Hampshire's law requiring parental notification of a minor's abortion was struck down by a federal appeals court. Ayotte appealed the decision, over the objections of incoming Democratic governor John Lynch. Ayotte personally argued the case before the Supreme Court, resulting in the Court's first decision regarding abortion in five years, Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of New England (2006), which held that the lower courts should have struck down only the offending portions of the law (namely, insufficient exceptions) rather than invalidating the entire law. The court sided unanimously with Ayotte.
Ayotte was cited for her oversight and prosecution of two capital murder cases in 2008, one of which brought a death sentence to convicted killer of Manchester Police Officer Michael Briggs.[4] In 2001 and 2002, when she was an assistant attorney general, she prosecuted another high-profile murder case, the "Dartmouth Murders" in Hanover, New Hampshire: the two young murderers accepted plea bargains and pleaded guilty.
Kelly Ayotte was named as the 2008 New Hampshire Citizen of the Year by the New Hampshire Union Leader.[4]
2010 U.S. Senate run
Ayotte resigned as Attorney General on July 7, 2009 to explore a run for U.S. Senate in 2010.[5][6] Incumbent Senator Judd Gregg is retiring. Ayotte is the most prominent Republican in the race: lawyer Ovide Lamontagne, and businesspeople Bill Binnie and Jim Bender are also running against Ayotte. Congressman Paul Hodes is seeking the seat as a Democrat.
Education
Issues
Abortion
Ayotte is Pro-Life but believes exemptions should be made in the case of rape, incest, or medical emergency.[7] She supports parental notification for abortion and opposes federal funding for elective abortions.
Gay Marriage
Ayotte is personally opposed to same-sex marriage and believes marriage heterosexual marriage should be left up to the respective churches.[7] She resigned as state Attorney General shortly after Governor John Lynch signed a set of three same sex marriage bills into law to which she was opposed.[8]
Gun Rights
Ayotte is in favor of the individual right to bear arms and second amendment rights.[7]
Healthcare
Ayotte opposes a single payer health care system run by the federal government. She opposes restrictions to purchase insurance across statelines, and supports a ban on insurance discrimination based on pre-existing conditions and tort reform. She supports individual state efforts such as SCHIP as well as federal tax credits to reduce the number of uninsured.[9]
References
- ^ Cook, Robert (2009-07-16). "Ayotte makes resignation official, mum on plans". Foster's Daily Democrat. Retrieved 2009-08-04.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|middle=ignored (help) - ^ http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/12/15/_what_a_difference_a_year_makes_the_2010_senate_outlook_99546.html
- ^ http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2010/senate/nh/new_hampshire_senate_ayotte_vs_hodes-1093.html
- ^ a b Fahey, Tom (2008-12-28). "Kelly Ayotte: Woman of convictions". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ Blake, Aaron (2009-06-17). "Ayotte for NH Senate?". Briefing Room: The Hill's Blog. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ "AG Ayotte resigns, eyes Senate run". New Hampshire Union Leader. 2009-07-07. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
- ^ a b c Shira Schoenberg (2009-08-12). "Ayotte stresses security". Concord Monitor.
- ^ ref name="nh-marriage-law>NH RSA Chapter 475: "Marriages"
- ^ John Distatso (2009-09-28). "Ayotte testing political waters, wants neutral legacy". The Union Leader.
See also
External links
- Kelly Ayotte For Senate official campaign website
- Biography of Kelly A. Ayotte, Attorney General
- Project Vote Smart - Kelly Ayotte