Vulnerable Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) released an ad on Thursday in an effort to recover from a controversy earlier this week when she said Donald Trump “absolutely” is a role model for her children.
{mosads}In “Standing Up,” Ayotte says neither she, Trump nor Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is “perfect.”
“Let’s be honest. Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are from from perfect, and I’m not perfect, either,” Ayotte said.
“But when partisan politics shut down the government, I led the fight to reopen it. I’ve worked to find solutions to New Hampshire’s heroin epidemic, and I’ve crossed the aisle to protect New Hampshire’s clean air and clean water.”
Ayotte is caught in a tight race with her Democratic challenger, New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan.
The race is considered a toss-up as Ayotte seeks to keep her seat and help Republicans maintain control of the Senate come November. She and Hassan are in a virtual tie, with Ayotte leading Hassan by only 1.6 points in the RealClearPolitics average.
But Ayotte sought to distance herself from Trump, the presidential nominee leading her party’s ticket, saying she does not endorse him but will vote for him.
Instead, she has focused on painting herself as a senator who would stand up to either nominee.
“I’ve been called a problem-solver by independent groups and ranked as one of the most bipartisan senators,” she says in her ad.”Whether I’m working for Republicans, Democrats or independents, I’m standing up for New Hampshire.”
Ayotte grabbed headlines earlier this week when, during a debate with Hassan, she said Trump “absolutely” is a role model for her children, a statement she later took back as Democrats jumped on her comment.
“I misspoke tonight. While I would hope all of our children would aspire to be president, neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton have set a good example and I wouldn’t hold up either of them as role models for my kids,” Ayotte later said.