New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte, Image via WMUR-TV / Screengrab
U.S. politics have become increasingly polarized over the last few decades, a shift accelerated by the pressures of President Donald Trump. Under his aggressive second-term agenda, the state of New Hampshire, famed for its "purple" voting habits, is struggling with new divides and uncertainties amid a "rising tide of MAGA."
The issues were catalogued in a new report from Salon published on Wednesday. New Hampshire, despite its varied mix of Republican and Democratic officials, is now contending with a new influx of Trump-friendly state-level politicians and outside pressures from Trump-backed allies.
"Despite its size, it’s far from inconsequential," the piece explained. "It’s the most Republican state in liberal New England, yet has an all-Democrat federal delegation, contrasting with a statehouse dominated by conservatives... New Hampshire’s history of being moderate is as certain as the next election isn’t. That may no longer be the case, as the state’s Republicans must now contend with a rising tide from the MAGA movement within the state, and political challengers approved by President Donald Trump."
Andrew Smith, a director at the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, echoed these sentiments, explaining that the state's more moderate lawmakers were "laying low" amid Trump's return to the White House. While the majority of the Republican's voted into the state legislature were moderates, Smith explained that they have nonetheless been willing to get in line with the MAGA leadership at the national level, on account of a desire to follow the "money" and "success."
“We’re in a little bit of a Trumpian moment that has divided the state,” Smith told Salon. "The more moderate voters are still here, but the leadership within the Republican party is definitely Trumpian leadership. That’s where the money is and that’s where the success is."
The 2024 elections also saw New Hampshire elect a new Republican governor, Kelly Ayotte. While she has paid some deference to the Trump administration with a DOGE-style initiative to improve the state's government efficiency, she has also run afoul of the president's heavy push for GOP-friendly redistricting efforts in Republican-led states, putting a proposal for a new congressional map on hold indefinitely.
This has led to reports that prominent Trump aide and ally, Corey Lewandowski, was considering a plan to run against Ayotte in the next New Hampshire gubernatorial race. He later downplayed, but did not outright dismiss the idea. Whatever happens, an anonymous GOP official told Politico in September that Ayotte's pushback would have "consequences."