Ayotte, a former U.S. senator, defeated the Democratic nominee Joyce Craig, a former mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire’s largest city. Still, 18 states have never had a woman in the governor’s office. “This is another side of political leadership ...

Republican Kelly Ayotte won the New Hampshire governor's race on Tuesday, Edison Research projected, defeating Democrat Joyce Craig in one of the nation's only closely fought gubernatorial contests.

Ms. Ayotte entered the race with greater name recognition than the Democrat, Joyce Craig, and was seen as a natural successor to Gov. Chris Sununu, a moderate Republican.

| Race for New Hampshire governor In one of the nation’s most competitive gubernatorial races, New Hampshire voters are choosing between one candidate trying to jump from local to statewide office and another seeking to bring federal experience to the Statehouse.

Governors hold powerful sway in American politics, shaping state policy and often using the experience and profile gained to launch campaigns for higher offices. "It matters to have women in those roles to normalize the image of women in political leadership and even more specifically in executive leadership,