Boston Herlad - Kelly Ayotte Focused on Her Campaign, Not Donald Trump's

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By Chris Villiani

Granite State U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte said she will be relying on her own organization, not Donald Trump's, to turn voters out on 
Election Day.

"My race is really about who is going to be New Hampshire's voice in the Senate," Ayotte said on Herald Radio's "Herald Drive" show yesterday when asked about Trump's high unfavorables being a drag on her campaign.

"I've been fighting to address our heroin epidemic, making sure small businesses are in a better position to create good-paying jobs and keep our country safe," she added. "The people of New Hampshire are looking at who can be their voice, who can get things done."

Ayotte said the questions she has fielded from voters have focused on issues facing the state, rather than the GOP presidential nominee. The Republican senator leads her Democratic opponent, Gov. Maggie Hassan, by 8 points in a recent NBC poll of likely voters. The same survey showed Hillary Clinton and Trump locked in a virtual tie in the state.

"We have built a very strong ground game during my campaign," she said, noting her appearance at everything from a county fair to the town dump. "I am out there campaigning every day hard myself and I have a very strong grass-roots campaign."

Trump initially delayed before backing Ayotte in her successful primary race earlier this month. Asked whether she still thinks Trump is the best candidate for the Oval Office, Ayotte replied, "Yes, I do."

In the wake of Saturday's bombings in New York City and New Jersey, Ayotte also renewed her call for Hassan to agree to a debate focused solely on national security. The candidates are scheduled to debate six times before November's election.

Ayotte, a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said investigators should focus on bombing suspect Ahmad Khan 
Rahami's travels to Afghanistan 
and Pakistan.

"Did he have any connections, did he get any training on explosives, and who else was involved in this?" Ayotte said, detailing some of the key questions in the investigation. "I think they have to go back to understand who he talked to there."

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