Ayotte
CONCORD, N.H. (Legal Newsline) - Former New Hampshire Attorney General Kelly Ayotte was named the winner in the state's Republican primary for U.S. Senate.
Ayotte, who served as AG from 2004-2009, collected only 1,667 more votes than Ovide Lamontagne, an attorney from Manchester who ran unsuccessfully for governor 14 years ago. Ayotte will face U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes in the general election.
Lamontagne may request a recount because the margin of victory was so small, Fox News reported. A July poll conducted by Public Policy Polling showed Ayotte with a 3-point lead over Hodes. Former Alaska governor and vice presidential-candidate Sarah Palin has endorsed Ayotte.
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Legal Newsline) - Rhode Island Democrats chose Peter Kilmartin as their nominee for state attorney general Tuesday.
Kilmartin is a member of the state House of Representatives and is hoping to replace outgoing Attorney General Patrick Lynch, who was barred by term limits from seeking re-election and abandoned his campaign for governor this year.
Kilmartin is a former police captain in Pawtucket. He gained 40 percent of Tuesday's vote, defeating attorney and former police officer Steve Archambault (33 percent) and attorney Joseph Fernandez (27 percent).
Kilmartin will face Erik Wallin, a former state prosecutor who ran unopposed in the GOP primary, in the general election.
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MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - Four state attorneys general, including Wisconsin's J.B. Van Hollen, probably paid very little attention to their states' primaries Tuesday.
Van Hollen, a Republican, already knew Scott Hassett would be his opponent in the general election. Hassett ran unopposed and is the former head of the state's Department of Natural Resources.
Elsewhere, Maryland's Doug Gansler is unopposed in the general election, as is Delaware's Beau Biden and Massachusetts' Martha Coakley.
Coakley was unsuccessful in a campaign for U.S. Senate earlier this year.
From Legal Newsline: Reach John O'Brien by e-mail at jobrienwv@gmail.com.