Jun. 19—CONCORD — The leading Republican and Democratic candidates for governor said they both have broken state records for donations raised by this point in the campaign.
Former U.S. Sen. and Republican hopeful Kelly Ayotte said she had raised more than $4.2 million since the campaign began, which already is nearly double the record $2.2 million that outgoing Gov. Chris Sununu raised in 2022 on the way to his fourth two-year term.
Former GOP Gov. Craig Benson still holds the record for most spending after using more than $11 million of his own money to win the seat in 2002.
Since last December, Ayotte said she has brought in $1.5 million and she ends the current filing period with $3.3 million in the bank.
“I’m humbled by the continued support our campaign has received, and I know that together, we will win in November and keep New Hampshire safe, prosperous and free,” Ayotte said.
Former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig said she had raised $2.3 million, including $1 million over the past six months.
“I’m the only candidate in this race that has flipped a seat from red-to-blue, and this further demonstrates that we are in the strongest position to beat Kelly Ayotte in November,” Craig said.
At this point, Craig said she had $1.3 million in the bank.
Craig’s major primary opponent, Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington of Concord, has brought in $1.8 million, including $750,000 since the last report.
“We are building a people-powered campaign with the broad, grassroots support Democrats need to win up and down the ballot this November and our movement grows stronger each day,” Warmington said.
She said she had $514,000 in the bank even after an expensive six-figure advertising buy on television over the past month, the only candidate to air ads this early.
All three candidates who formed political action committees prior to formally getting into the race had to file reports by Wednesday at 5 p.m.
More time for Morse
The fourth major candidate, former Senate President Chuck Morse, R-Salem, did not have to file this week because he created a candidate committee when he decided to run.
This allows him to keep secret how much he’s raised this year until the first report for 2024 is due on Aug. 21, less than three weeks before the Sept. 10 primary.
Through last December, Morse had raised just over $900,000, or only about a third of what Ayotte had brought in by that time.
Newmarket restaurant owner Jon Kiper, a third Democratic candidate, also doesn’t report until August.
Ayotte campaign spokesman John Corbett said the national Democratic party will spend record amounts, especially since Sununu is departing after four GOP wins in a row. Prior to Sununu’s first victory in 2016, the Democrats had won the corner office in nine of the previous 10 elections.
“National Democrats and their dark money groups have made it clear from day one that they want to buy the corner office and turn New Hampshire into Massachusetts,” Corbett said.
According to earlier reports, some of Ayotte’s biggest donors were limited liability companies, all of which gave Ayotte $15,000 apiece.
Craig’s biggest backers were the more than 16 labor unions that endorsed her .
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