One-time GOP rising star reveals how she will work with Trump admin after victory in key race

CONCORD, N.H. - Thanks to her convincing gubernatorial election victory past week successful New Hampshire, Kelly Ayotte's nationalist illustration is erstwhile again connected the rise.

But Ayotte, who, different than President-elect Trump, was arguably the biggest Republican victor connected Election Night, is keeping her absorption connected her location state.

"I spot 1 relation for maine and that is each day, to aftermath up and to beryllium the champion for the radical of New Hampshire," the governor-elect said successful a Fox News Digital interrogation astatine her modulation bureau this week successful the state's superior city.

And Ayotte, who past week defeated Democratic gubernatorial nominee and erstwhile Manchester, New Hampshire politician Joyce Craig by an unexpected astir 10-point margin, emphasized that she plans "to absorption connected the economical issues, education, intelligence health, and housing," erstwhile she is inaugurated successful aboriginal January.

REPUBLICANS HOLD ON TO THE MOST HIGHLY CONTEST GUBERNATORIAL SEAT THIS YEAR

Former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, the Republican gubernatorial nominee successful New Hampshire, celebrates her Election Night triumph for governor, connected Nov. 5, 2024  (Kelly Ayotte campaign)

Ayotte, a erstwhile authorities lawyer general, was elected to the U.S. Senate successful 2010 and was a rising prima successful the GOP and regarded arsenic a person connected nationalist information and overseas policy.

But Ayotte mislaid re-election successful 2016 by a razor-thin borderline of conscionable implicit 1,000 votes astatine the hands of then-Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan.

"It was a privilege to correspond New Hampshire successful the United States Senate, but I’ve been elected politician of the authorities of New Hampshire and mundane I’m conscionable going to aftermath up and accidental ‘what tin I bash for New Hampshire today,'" Ayotte said erstwhile asked astir immoderate emerging caller relation arsenic a person successful the GOP.

VANCE IN ‘CATBIRD SEAT,' BUT THESE OTHER REPUBLICANS MAY ALSO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2028

Ayotte launched her gubernatorial bid past twelvemonth aft fashionable Republican Gov. Chris Sununu announced that helium wouldn't question re-election successful 2024.

Sununu, a well-known fig successful nationalist politics, endorsed Ayotte successful aboriginal August up of her casual triumph successful September's GOP gubernatorial primary. 

The politician often joined Ayotte connected the run way successful the precocious summertime and autumn, and Ayotte highlighted that she planned to proceed the Sununu agenda.

Gov-elect Kelly Ayotte (left) and Gov. Chris Sununu (right) conscionable successful the New Hampshire governor's office, successful the Statehouse successful Concord, N.H., connected Nov. 7, 2024  (Office of New Hampshire governor)

"I deliberation Gov. Sununu has done an fantabulous occupation for the authorities of New Hampshire. We’re starring the federation successful truthful galore metrics," she told Fox News.

But she added that "the happening that I emotion astir astir Gov. Sununu is the passion, the affirmative enthusiasm that helium brings for this state. He loves this state. He’s truthful arrogant of New Hampshire. And I’m going to bring that aforesaid cognition arsenic governor, truly being a champion for the radical of New Hampshire."

"Obviously, we are antithetic people, but I stock his doctrine connected the economical prosperity of the authorities and the accent connected idiosyncratic and economical freedom," Ayotte emphasized.

HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028

When it comes to erstwhile and aboriginal President Trump, Ayotte said "I look guardant to moving with the Trump medication connected behalf of the radical of New Hampshire, whether its roads, whether its bridges, whether its areas wherever we tin fortify our nationalist safety. I deliberation determination are truthful galore opportunities wherever we should beryllium moving together, and I’m going to advocator for the radical of this state."

Ayotte said her years serving successful Washington volition travel successful useful arsenic she takes implicit successful the Granite State's governor's office.

Former Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a Republican campaigner for governor, is surrounded by supporters arsenic she files her candidacy astatine the Secretary of State's office, connected June 13, 2024, successful Concord, N.H. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

"Having the acquisition of having served successful Washington, I surely volition combat hard for New Hampshire erstwhile it comes to interacting with the Trump administration," she said. "Those national dollars – making definite that they travel to New Hampshire. But also, erstwhile Washington does things connected the regulatory front, I privation to marque definite that New Hampshire’s dependable is astatine that table."

Ayotte famously broke with then-GOP statesmanlike nominee Trump conscionable up of the 2016 election. She withdrew her enactment for Trump implicit the "Access Hollywood" controversy, successful which Trump, successful a years-old video, made highly crude comments astir grabbing women without their consent.

"I cannot and volition not enactment a campaigner for president who brags astir degrading and assaulting women," Ayotte said astatine the time. 

While they some mislaid successful New Hampshire, Ayotte somewhat outperformed Trump successful the authorities arsenic Democratic statesmanlike nominee Hillary Clinton edged the White House victor by little than 3,000 votes.

Before heading backmost afloat clip to New Hampshire, Ayotte stuck astir Washington concisely aft the extremity of her term, shepherding then-Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch (Trump's archetypal precocious tribunal nominee) done his palmy Senate confirmation process.

As she ran for politician the past 2 years successful a authorities wherever New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation statesmanlike superior repeatedly drew Trump and different GOP White House hopefuls, Ayotte kept her region from the nationalist governmental conversation.

She stayed neutral successful New Hampshire's statesmanlike primary, but did endorse Trump aft helium locked up the nomination. She didn't look with Trump's moving mate - present Vice President-elect JD Vance - erstwhile the legislator from Ohio made a last-minute halt successful the Granite State a mates of days earlier Election Day.

But Ayotte told Fox News "I privation to congratulate President Trump, obviously, connected a precise beardown triumph connected Election Day."

Republican statesmanlike nominee, erstwhile President Donald Trump arrives to talk during an predetermination nighttime solemnisation astatine the Palm Beach Convention Center connected November 6, 2024 successful West Palm Beach, Florida.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Asked astir immoderate of the president-elect's arguable furniture information announcements this week, Ayotte said that "it’s important that he’s putting unneurotic a squad that works for him."

But the erstwhile legislator emphasized that "this is truly a determination for the United States Senate. They person an important relation erstwhile it comes to counsel and consent. I’m definite they’ll look cautiously astatine President Trump’s nominees and marque definite that they judge that they’re qualified."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Ayotte, successful the GOP gubernatorial primary, easy defeated erstwhile New Hampshire Senate president Chuck Morse, who touted his enactment for Trump and questioned Ayotte's loyalty to the erstwhile president. Morse's anticipation that helium would onshore a Trump endorsement ne'er materialized, arsenic the erstwhile president stayed neutral.

Also helping Ayotte arsenic she ran for politician - a helping manus from the Republican Governors Association, which dished retired astir $21 cardinal successful enactment of Ayotte. Most of the backing came successful the last 2 months of the race, but the RGA did marque a $2.75 cardinal pre-primary investment.

The RGA - dissimilar the rival Democratic Governors Association  - sent their resources straight to the Ayotte run from the commencement of their engagement successful the race, alternatively than taking the accepted way of putting their backing successful an autarkic expenditure committee.