New Hampshire GOP Sen. Kelly Ayotte
Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte has always positioned herself as a moderate in order to win in this swing state, and some elements on the far right have had enough. WMUR's John DiStaso reports that ex-New Hampshire state House Speaker Bill O'Brien has convened a meeting to find someone willing to challenge Ayotte in the primary, and he
didn't rule out running himself.
Many Republicans blamed O'Brien's ultra-conservative agenda for costing them the state House in 2012, and several renegade Republicans sick of his bullying behavior joined with Democrats to keep O'Brien from returning to the speaker's chair. In other words, he's exactly the type of guy the Democrats would love to run against.
O'Brien's odds of actually beating Ayotte are not great, but he could at least force her to work for renomination. A recent PPP poll gave Ayotte an unremarkable 59-25 approval rating with Republicans so while she's probably not in danger of actually losing a primary, a well-funded foe could at least do some damage. The primary is Sept. 13 so if Ayotte actually has to spend some real money, she wouldn't have much time to refill her coffers before she needs to focus on Democrat Maggie Hassan. Democrats would also love it if a conservative foe forced Ayotte to move to the right.
A few other Republicans haven't ruled out bids, though none of them are as notable as O'Brien. Andrew Hemingway, who took 37 percent in last year's gubernatorial primary, only said "No comment," when asked if he were interested. Ex-state Sen. Jim Rubens, who won 23 percent in the 2014 Senate primary, is also not saying no.