The neck-and-neck battle between first-term Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a former attorney general, and Gov. Maggie Hassan, a two-term Democrat, is a closely watched race around the country – by political analysts, that is. Why? Because the outcome could impact political control of the Senate, now held by the GOP, by a slim margin. In Washington, it’s a fight for the balance of power.
Here in New Hampshire, however, the Senate race has been far from inspiring. Ayotte and Hassan are both cautious and tightly controlled politicians, both lawyers, each with solid favorability ratings. It’s been a dead heat from the start.
Both women stay studiously on script. Each claims a record of “bipartisanship” that proves they can resist the paralyzing partisan gridlock in Washington. Meanwhile, outside interests on both sides pour tens of millions of dollars into slash and burn attack ads, slamming the candidates voting records.
We’re not sure that anyone other than political junkies has been watching at a time when voter attention has been sucked up by the presidential campaign. But with just 38 days to go until the general election on Nov. 8, the standoff between Ayotte and Hassan may begin to move.
On Monday, voters statewide will get a chance to size up the candidates – face to face – in their first televised debate. The event, at New England College in Henniker, is co-sponsored by the Monitor and will be broadcast at 7 p.m. by New England Cable News.
Consider their fundamental policy differences.
Ayotte wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Hassan wants to improve it. Ayotte has said the Supreme Court should overturn Roe v. Wade, which established a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion and she has voted to defund Planned Parenthood. Hassan strongly supports abortion rights and backs Planned Parenthood. Ayotte has voted against expanded background checks for gun sales; Hassan supports those background checks and would ban assault weapons. Ayotte supports capital punishment; Hassan does not. Hassan says Ayotte has signaled she would consider privatizing Social Security, reducing benefits and overhauling Medicare. Ayotte says Hassan attacks are false and that she would fight to preserve both programs, while being open to much-needed bipartisan reform. Ayotte opposes the Iran nuclear deal: Hassan supports it.
Sen. Ayotte should be asked, again, to account for her contrived decision to “support but not endorse” Donald Trump for president. Hassan will have to explain why she hesitated at first – three times – when asked by CNN if Hillary Clinton was “honest and trustworthy.”
The senator needs to explain why she was quickly in lockstep with GOP leaders refusing to even hold a hearing for President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to take the 9th, tie-breaking seat on the Supreme Court left vacant by the death of Antonin Scalia. Ayotte says the voters should have a say on the nominee, through the presidential election; critics say she abdicated her duty as a senator for politics.
Both candidates need to address the need for campaign finance reform – their race is a historic example of out of control spending by outside interests. Experience tells us these races depend on getting out the vote – so Ayotte and Hassan are grinding it out on the campaign trail.
But, in this unconventional election year, we urge both Ayotte and Hassan to get beyond the calculated competition and offer voters a larger vision of where they want to take the country.
Polls show there are plenty of undecided voters out there who can turn a deadlock into a win. Give them a reason – other than party loyalty – to take your side.
And to the voters, remember that the party that holds in the power in Washington will control issues, judicial nominations, and the country’s direction, for years to come.