The seat became a 2010 race to watch when Republican Sen. Judd Gregg announced his retirement in February. Democrats have rallied around Rep. Paul W. Hodes in the Senate race, but the GOP continues to search for a top-flight candidate.
Republican former Rep. Charlie Bass indicated in a statement Wednesday that he is mulling a bid for either Hodes' 2nd District, which Bass represented from 1995 to 2007, or the U.S. Senate.
State Attorney General Kelly Ayotte is rumored to be considering a bid and Ovide Lamontagne, attorney and 1996 gubernatorial candidate is considering the race. Additional Republicans continue to be discussed as contenders.
Republican businessman Fred Tausch has been building statewide name identification by running television ads related to his grassroots organization, STEWARD of Prosperity, but Tausch has not declared his candidacy for any office.
Republican businessmen Sean Mahoney and Rich Ashooh are also regarded as second-tier potential contenders.
CQ Politics rates the race a Tossup.
To see how the 2010 Senate races are shaping up, check out the CQ Politics' election map.
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Not Lamontagne, he's the dope that let Jeanne Shaheen get her start as a statewide officeholder by upsetting Bill Zeliff in the GOP primary. Got to do better than that!
Posted by: NObama
| July 2, 2009 5:22 PM
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