US Senate

Kelly Ayotte (R) defeats Congressman Paul Hodes (D), Chris Booth (I) and Ken Blevens (L) to replace the retiring Judd Gregg (R) in Washington.

	Paul Hodes (D) Concord; U.S. Congress 2007-present; former N.H. Assistant Attorney General	Chris Booth (I) Canterbury; electrical engineer	Ken Blevens (L) Bow; U.S. Army veteran, self-employed realtor	Kelly Ayotte (R) Nashua; N.H. Attorney General 2004-2009
Elections & Campaign Finance	Hodes voted yes on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations and he signed the Stop the Congressional Pay Raise Act to prevent Members of Congress from receiving any automatic pay adjustment in 2010.	Booth wants to keep public campaign financing voluntary at the federal level and allow states to establish—or not establish—their own campaign finance laws. “The biggest thing about campaign financing is to make it clear that corporations are not persons and have no rights other than those permissions specifically granted to them.”	To the question of how his campaign will reduce the influence of special interests in Washington: “I will not raise money personally and only serve one term if that is the wish of the voters.”	Ayotte has pledged not to seek any earmark funding if elected. She believes Senate campaigns should file their returns electronically and post them online immediately so the public knows who is donating to campaigns.
War & Military	Hodes supports a timed withdraw from Afghanistan and Iraq. He favors repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He voted to increase the Veterans Affairs budget and advocates for full-service VA hospital in New Hampshire. Hodes wants to “end blank-check war funding, rein in contracting abuses, and hold the previous administration accountable for its mistakes.”	“As a Quaker I do not use military force in resolving conflicts.” Booth believes all nuclear weapons should be eliminated. On Afghanistan: “I see a bunch of farmers that just want to grow their crops and be left alone.” He wants to declare victory and leave. Believes suspected terrorists (although he disagrees with use of the term “terrorist”) should be tried in civilian courts.	Blevens opposed the preemptive war in Iraq “since the beginning.” He believes we should reduce our commitment to the war in Afghanistan.	Ayotte believes the Obama Administration is “failing to stand with our allies and … trying to appease our enemies.” She supports drone strikes and opposes civilian trials for suspected terrorists. Her husband, Joe, is an Iraq War veteran who currently serves in the Air National Guard.
Foreign Policy	Hodes supports Israel's right to self-defense and believes in a two-state solution with Palestine. He agrees with sanctions against Iran to prevent nuclear ambitions. He voted yes to cooperating with India as a nuclear power.	Booth proposes a global minimum wage in place of international trade agreements; imports from non-complying countries would be taxed until a majority of goods are made domestically. He considers Israel a failed state; rather than a two-state solution, he proposes a single state with “equal rights to all persons.” He believes North and South Korea will reunite without intervention.	Blevens opposes pursuing additional free trade agreements. He opposes pressuring the Chinese to revalue their currency, Israel to halt settlement activity, and a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. He disagrees with going beyond economic sanctions on Iran to slow its nuclear development, trying suspected terrorists in civilian courts, and racial profiling to enhance national security.	“I don’t think we should ever apologize for the United States of America.” Ayotte is committed to Israel’s right to self-defense and supported their actions against the Gaza flotilla.
National Budget	Hodes wants to dismantle “pay-for-play” earmark spending. He proposed capping all federal discretionary spending, to be indexed to inflation. He’s sought to end bank bailouts and instead channel all bailout money toward federal debt reduction.	Booth supports increased tax rates for individuals earning more than $250,000. He does not believe corporations should pay any income tax. He thinks real estate taxes should be nullified. He wants to ultimately eliminate national debt, but “there is nothing wrong with deficit spending if it is needed to recover from a disaster.”	Blevens favors lowering all taxes, especially corporations, and he favors a flat personal income tax. He opposes a Constitutional amendment requiring a federal balanced budget. He believes the federal government should reduce spending by reducing the pay or benefits of federal employees.	Ayotte believes federal spending should be cut “with a hatchet, not a scalpel.” She supports reduction of the corporate tax rate and elimination of the estate tax. She also supports a federal Constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. She believes stimulus and bailout money should instead be used to pay down the national deficit.
Jobs & Economy	Hodes supported Obama’s stimulus plan. Supports tax breaks for small businesses that create jobs, and wants to eliminate tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs. “My plan would end subsidies to big oil companies and use that money to invest in clean energy jobs in New Hampshire.”	Booth may support additional stimulus funding, but he believes “the more appropriate way to stimulate is to establish trade policy that will create manufacturing jobs in the US.” He believes Congress is responsible for setting the policy that encourages market corrections.	Blevens opposes further stimulus spending. “The banks should have been allowed to fail, which would have been the right correction. Stimulus money is the debt we will leave our children and grand children. How can anyone be proud of that?” He believes eliminating a federal minimum wage would discourage immigration and promote domestic business growth.	Ayotte promotes job creation through increased domestic energy production. She wants to reduce small business taxes and regulations. She believes a Constitutional amendment for a balanced budget would prevent money being “taken away from entrepreneurs who would otherwise make investments to create jobs.”
Energy & Environment	Hodes promotes investment in clean energy research and green initiatives for job creation. He favors “cap and trade” to limit pollution and incentivize renewable energy and conservation. Hodes voted to remove subsidies for oil and gas exploration and he co-sponsored a bill allowing states to define stricter emission standards.	Booth opposes both nuclear power and a “cap & trade” system to lower carbon emissions. He opposes some off-shore drilling, esp. along the U.S. coastline, and believes all off-shore drilling should be more carefully regulated. He supports an international carbon tax and tax incentives for alternative fuels (but not for clean coal technology).	Blevens opposes cap and trade on carbon emissions, a carbon tax, and tax incentives for alternative fuels or development of clean coal technology. He supports expanded domestic oil drilling. He believes nuclear electric power generation should be encouraged.	Ayotte believes global warming is a “real issue” but does not consider the science conclusive. She wants increased domestic energy production of all forms, including natural gas, oil, nuclear, coal, hydro and renewables. She opposes “cap and trade” legislation. She believes in “protecting private property rights” and encouraging conservation through local and federal incentives.
Immigration	Hodes wants strong border security, enforcement of current laws, and to make sure employers of undocumented workers are paying penalties. He supports a path to legalization if aliens “get to the back of the line,” learn English, and pay fines. “And we need to be sure that those who stay here are the right ones to stay.”	Booth supports deportation of illegal immigrants, who would then be allowed to apply legally to enter the country. He supports the right of states to create and enforce their own immigration laws.	Blevens will not support any effort other than enforcing the present law and deporting anyone in this country illegally today. He does support the right of states to enact their own laws to deal with illegal immigration (rather than relying on federal laws and enforcement).	Ayotte supports Arizona’s law against illegal immigration and believes the federal government has failed to enforce immigration laws. “It’s not only wrong for our safety, but it’s wrong in terms of the strain on our (education and healthcare) systems and wrong for the people who are here to play by the rules.”
Healthcare	Hodes favors universal access to healthcare, including a “public option.” He has voted to support expanding Medicare and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. He supports allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors. He voted to regulate tobacco as a drug and supports giving mental health full equity with physical health.	Booth supports universal healthcare: “There is no relationship between wealth and who needs health care, and there should be no relationship between wealth and who gets health care. … It is only up to the patients and their doctors to determine what care is needed, not any company and certainly not the government.”	Blevens advocates repealing the new healthcare bill and allowing the sale of health insurance across state lines. “As a Libertarian Presidential candidate once said, ‘Government can’t give you anything unless it takes it from you first.’” He does not support tort reform to limit medical liability damages.	Ayotte supports a repeal of recent healthcare legislation. She supports medical malpractice reform to “reduce frivolous lawsuits.” She wants to allow the purchase of insurance across state lines to increase competition, and allow small business owners to pool together to obtain better insurance rates.
Education	Hodes opposes much of No Child Left Behind, especially its unfunded mandates; he believes in some local controls. Hodes has pledged to fight for special education funding, capping student loan repayments to 10 percent of a recent graduate’s income, and expanding financial aid programs and college tuition tax credits. He supports linking education to the workforce.	“Education is the answer to almost every question!” Booth believes states should bear sole responsibility for funding and regulating education. Federal government should limit educational involvement to assisting states in sharing best practices and learning from each other. He supports voucher program for private and home schooling.	“First let me say I support TLC, total local control [emphasis his], of education. Local control creates competition between students, schools and towns and is the greatest motivator for individual improvement. … The best results would come from less federal intervention not more.”	Ayotte considers No Child Left Behind an example of looking to the federal government for solutions at the expense of local control. She has said that NCLB “has been a one-size-fits-all (program)," and that she wants to “detangle” it without completely removing federal requirements. She supports school choice, charter schools and home schooling.
Abortion	Hodes is pro-choice and in favor of prevention and contraception. He voted to expand embryonic stem cell research.	Booth does not believe the federal government should play a legislative role in abortion. “That decision is solely between a woman and her doctor.”	“I am pro-choice as I do believe that moral choice can best be made by the woman and the father not by the government.”	Ayotte opposes abortion, with exceptions for rape, incest and medical emergencies. She believes an anti-abortion stance is important for Supreme Court nominees, but it’s not the only factor that would determine her support.
Guns	Hodes supports 2nd Amendment rights to bear arms.	“What part of ‘shall not be infringed’ do you not understand?” Believes in the right to bear arms of any type, strongly opposes registration requirements and supports the right to carry concealed weapons.	Blevens believes any gun law is inherently unconstitutional and has pledged to actively work to repeal all of them, including gun registration and concealed weapons laws.	Ayotte supports nationwide recognition of concealed carry licenses and believes the ability to carry a firearm is an individual protected civil right to self defense.