With tea party and Sarah Palin backing, Kelly Ayotte resoundingly defeated Democratic Congressman Paul Hodes. Ayotte keeps the US Senate seat held by retiring New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg in Republican hands.
Ayotte is both a fiscal and social conservative, who has pledged to repeal "Obamacare," the health care reforms passed by Congress. She opposes gay marriage and wants to cut government spending.
A former attorney general for the Granite State, Ayotte was not the tea party's first choice in the primary. She was, however, backed by the Republican Party establishment.
