Sen. Ayotte: I Will Not Vote for Trump on Nov. 8

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH, in a tight re-election race this year, has decided not to vote for Donald Trump after the release of an off-the-air video from 11 years ago where he bragged about aggressively pursuing women sexually and being able to grab them in their private parts because he was a television star. The video, from 2005, was unearthed by Access Hollywood after an Associated Press report of women complaining that they felt uncomfortable with the billionaire businessman during filming episodes of “The Apprentice.”

The interview segment was off-camera with interviewer Billy Bush, a cousin of former President George W. Bush and former Gov. Jeb Bush.

Trump issued a statement and hours later, a full video apology, saying that he would be at Sunday’s debate and begin to speak about former President Bill Clinton’s alleged abuse of women and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s enabling – and targeting – alleged victims of her husband.

In a statement this morning, Ayotte said she was “a mom and an American first,” and even though she wanted to be able to support the Republican Party’s nominee that was chosen by the voters, and agreed that the nation needed to change direction, she would not be voting for him.

“I cannot and will not support a candidate for president who brags about degrading and assaulting women,” she said. “I will not be voting for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton and instead will be writing in Governor Pence for president on Election Day."

Gov. Maggie Hassan, D-Exeter, one of Ayotte’s opponents, called the statement a craven political act focused on self-preservation.

“Kelly Ayotte today simply reinforced that everything she does is based on cold, political calculations about what is in her personal best interest,” Hassan said in an email to press outlets. “After spending 24 hours running the political math, Ayotte has made a decision that is a transparent, craven attempt at political self-preservation. For months, Kelly Ayotte stood by Trump as he demeaned women, minorities, people with disabilities, Gold Star families, and was deemed a danger to our national security, even going so far as saying he should 'absolutely' be a role model for children. What Kelly Ayotte doesn’t seem to understand is the chance to show courage has long past, and her hollow words today reveal as much about her own character as they do Donald Trump's. Her words are far too little and far too late.”

Aaron Day, a former Republican turned independent who is also challenging Ayotte, said the decision by Ayotte amounts to “witnessing the unraveling of the GOP,” adding that the party had no soul or common set underlying of principles.

“Once the party of limited government, the GOP, now represents the unlimited expansion of the warfare/welfare state,” he said. “It is no surprise then, that candidates within the party are no longer will to support the full ticket. I left the Republican Party to run for U.S. Senate as an Independent precisely because of the lack of adherence to limited government principle and the complete embrace of cronyism by the GOP. Ayotte's voting record is reflective of how far the party has strayed. Ayotte's decision not to vote for Trump stems not from ideology, but from her unquenchable desire to move up the ladder as a career politician.”

Another candidate – Libertarian Brian Chabot – is also on the ballot and Christopher Booth, who ran in 2010, is also running as a write-in candidate.

Polling for the Senate campaign in New Hampshire has been seesawing for many weeks, according to data posted on RealClearPolitics.com. A Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll from two days ago had Ayotte up by 6 percent. That poll was taken after Ayotte’s Trump is a role model flap in a debate that she quickly backtracked from. A WBUR/MassINC poll from Sept. 30, had Hassan up by 2 points. A Monmouth poll a week before that had Ayotte up by 2 percent while an NBC/WSJ/Marist poll released on Sept. 11, had Ayotte up by 8.

Meanwhile, on Facebook, Carly Fiorina, who placed seventh in New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary, joined a chorus of other GOP leaders calling on Trump to resign and allow the Republican National Committee to let Pence take his place.

“Donald Trump does not represent me or my party,” she stated. “I understand the responsibility of Republicans to support their nominee. Our nominee has weighty responsibilities as well. Donald Trump has manifestly failed in these responsibilities. I have traveled the country for years warning Americans that Hillary Clinton is unfit to be president. We must have a conservative in the White House to restore accountability, opportunity and security. For the sake of our Constitution and the rule of law, we must defeat Hillary Clinton.”