CONCORD, N.H. (AP) 鈥� Former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte was sworn as on Thursday, promising to bring people together and build on the state's successes while also warning that budget cuts are coming.
鈥淚 am going to be a governor for you, whether you鈥檙e a Republican, Democrat, independent, you name it, because our state is so much bigger than a party or an ideology,鈥� she said. 鈥淕ood government knows no party, so let鈥檚 show the folks that when partisanship is at a fever pitch, we can set a different example.鈥�
Ayotte succeeds , whose decision against seeking a fifth two-year term set up on one of the most competitive gubernatorial races in the country. Promising to continue Sununu's anti-tax, pro-business economic policies, Ayotte defeated five opponents in September鈥檚 GOP primary and Democratic former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig in the November election.
In her inaugural speech, Ayotte said she would keep the state on a prosperous path but warned that belt-tightening would be necessary as lawmakers write the next two-year budget.
鈥淲e are going to have to look for better ways to do things with less money,鈥� she said. 鈥淛ust like a family making hard decisions, there鈥檚 things we can not skimp on 鈥� protecting our most vulnerable and those in our state most in need ... but we do have to carefully look across our budgets of every agency and find the savings to deal with the financial realities we face."
Ayotte is the of New Hampshire, following Democrats Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, both of whom are now U.S. senators. They were the first and second women in the nation to serve in the Senate after being governor. Ayotte is the first woman to do so in reverse, according to Eric Ostermeier, a research fellow at the University of Minnesota and author of the Smart Politics news site.
While more than 150 sitting or former governors have become senators, Ayotte is among just 23 sitting or former senators elected governor since 1900, Ostermeier said. In an interview in October, Ayotte said that experience will serve her well.
鈥淣ot only do I understand how Washington works, but also how to fight for New Hampshire. I still have relationships there, across the aisle, with important people making decisions in Washington,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o I do feel like it does broaden my skill set as governor doing this in reverse.鈥�
A narrow loss to Hassan in 2016 ended Ayotte鈥檚 tenure in Washington after one term. Before that, Ayotte spent five years as the state鈥檚 attorney general, and she often highlighted her past as a prosecutor during her campaign.
She repeated that Thursday, saying her top priority remains keeping the state safe. She also cited the state's housing crisis as a top issue she plans to tackle, and she praised Republicans for expanding the state's school voucher program. Without offering details, she also announced plans to ban cellphones in schools, and said she is creating a Commission on Government Efficiency. Ayotte's agency will be led by Republican former Gov. Craig Benson and businessman Andy Crews.
鈥淲e need to make sure that government is operating more like the lean process of manufacturing where waste is eliminated at each step in the process,鈥� she said.
Ayotte has had a rocky history with , rescinding her support for him in 2016 over his lewd comments about women before backing him again last year. Despite the 2016 snub, she through his confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court, where he joined in overturning Roe v. Wade.
On Thursday, she reiterated that will veto any bill further restricting abortion in New Hampshire, where the procedure is illegal after 24 weeks of pregnancy. And though the state鈥檚 Democratic Party chairman was quick to accuse her of following in Trump鈥檚 footsteps and putting the state on a 鈥渄angerous鈥� path, she tried to strike a bipartisan tone.
"Protecting what makes us unique is so much more important than one person or one party,鈥� she said. 鈥淧lease know this: Even when we don鈥檛 see eye to eye, I will always look to bring us together.鈥�
Holly Ramer, The Associated Press
