Chamber of Commerce Resets, Turns Focus to Support of Ayotte

The Chamber of Commerce is set to run an ad targeting New Hampshire voters, calling on them to re-elect Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte.

The ad does not say that the group believes Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton will be president, but it implies the possibility of that happening.

"America’s future is far from certain. But no matter who the next president is, New Hampshire needs a strong voice in the U.S. Senate… She works across the aisle to get things done," according to the video.

CNN’s Dana Bash reported that the Chamber said it is airing this kind of ad in New Hampshire where it is the "most needed." The hope is that the ad signals GOP candidates and supporters that the party’s nominee Donald Trump will not win the White House, and they must focus on keeping the House and the Senate.

Ayotte's Democratic challenger Maggie Hassan is in the lead by 8 points, according to a WMUR New Hampshire poll. That same poll shows voters in the state prefer Clinton over Trump by 15 points.

Ayotte has faced difficulty distancing herself from Trump, according to Margaret Carlson, who said that Ayotte "has a core, but it's been shaken by wanting to win so much that she coddled Trump. All summer, the senator contorted herself into the twisted stance that she would support, but not endorse him."

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