Gov. Kelly Ayotte is reacting to a report that the White House could try to pressure New Hampshire’s governor into signing a new Congressional map into law.Proposed congressional maps sparked intense debate in 2021 and 2022, as the Legislature wrestled with the issue of redistricting.Then-Gov. Chris Sununu did not want to see the districts dramatically redrawn, and his vetoes resulted in the New Hampshire Supreme Court creating a map with minimal changes that is in effect today.Now, with the Trump administration pushing red states to re-open redistricting to aid the House GOP majority, attention has turned to New Hampshire.Ayotte has been resistant to revisiting this issue and reiterated her position in an exclusive interview for “CloseUp” on Friday morning.”We’re in the middle of the census. I don’t think the timing is right for redistricting. And as I look at where we are and the things we should be focusing on, this is not something that I support doing at this point in the middle of the census,” Ayotte said.Asked whether she could change her mind, Ayotte responded, “No.” Earlier this week, Politico reported that the Trump administration isn’t going to let this matter go and that “the White House is prepared to use a take-no-prisoners approach.”Ayotte was asked about her reaction to the report.”Well, listen, I react to the people of New Hampshire and as I get up every day, the thing that they’re talking to me about is not redistricting. They’re talking to me about housing, child care, keeping our streets safe, energy costs. So as I think about this issue, when I got in office, we talked about this. We’re in the middle of the census. This is the beginning of the census when you would normally do this. And (I) think there are a lot of other priorities we can be working on in Concord.”Analysts say Ayotte is unlikely to budge.”If you watch Gov. Ayotte, you’ll see she really doesn’t change her positions on a lot of issues,” Neil Levesque, of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, said.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte is reacting to a report that the White House could try to pressure New Hampshire’s governor into signing a new Congressional map into law.
Proposed congressional maps sparked intense debate in 2021 and 2022, as the Legislature wrestled with the issue of redistricting.
Then-Gov. Chris Sununu did not want to see the districts dramatically redrawn, and his vetoes resulted in the New Hampshire Supreme Court creating a map with minimal changes that is in effect today.
Now, with the Trump administration pushing red states to re-open redistricting to aid the House GOP majority, attention has turned to New Hampshire.
Ayotte has been resistant to revisiting this issue and reiterated her position in an exclusive interview for “CloseUp” on Friday morning.
“We’re in the middle of the census. I don’t think the timing is right for redistricting. And as I look at where we are and the things we should be focusing on, this is not something that I support doing at this point in the middle of the census,” Ayotte said.
Asked whether she could change her mind, Ayotte responded, “No.”
Earlier this week, Politico reported that the Trump administration isn’t going to let this matter go and that “the White House is prepared to use a take-no-prisoners approach.”
Ayotte was asked about her reaction to the report.
“Well, listen, I react to the people of New Hampshire and as I get up every day, the thing that they’re talking to me about is not redistricting. They’re talking to me about housing, child care, keeping our streets safe, energy costs. So as I think about this issue, when I got in office, we talked about this. We’re in the middle of the census. This is the beginning of the census when you would normally do this. And (I) think there are a lot of other priorities we can be working on in Concord.”
Analysts say Ayotte is unlikely to budge.
“If you watch Gov. Ayotte, you’ll see she really doesn’t change her positions on a lot of issues,” Neil Levesque, of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, said.
