Senator Kelly Ayotte

Kelly Ayotte was elected to the United States Senate in 2010, where she was ranked as one of the most bipartisan senators working across party lines to find solutions to our nation’s biggest challenges. Most recently, Senator Ayotte served as “Sherpa” for Judge Neil Gorsuch, leading the effort for the Trump Administration to secure his confirmation as an Associate Justice to the United States Supreme Court. During her tenure in the Senate (2011-2016), Senator Ayotte chaired the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and the Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Operations. Senator Ayotte is a leading voice on national security and was named by Foreign Policy magazine as one of the top 50 Republicans on national security affairs in the country. She is a strong advocate for our nation’s military readiness and our service men and women.

Having seen the effects of heroin and opiate addiction in New Hampshire and across the country, Senator Ayotte took a lead role in passing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, a national response to improve prevention, treatment and recovery efforts to stem the tide of addiction. She also worked to address gaps in our nation’s mental health system by passing legislation to improve mental health first aid training, suicide prevention programs and treatment of eating disorders.

Prior to serving in the United States Senate, Senator Ayotte served as New Hampshire’s first female Attorney General from 2004-2009.  First appointed to that position by a Republican governor, she was twice reappointed by a Democratic governor. Senator Ayotte also served as the deputy attorney general, chief of the homicide prosecution unit, and as legal counsel to Governor Craig Benson. She began her career as a law clerk to the New Hampshire Supreme Court and as an associate at McLane Middleton.

Senator Ayotte currently serves on the board of News Corp, the advisory boards of Blink Health and Revision Military and on the boards of the International Republican Institute, the McCain Institute and NH Veteran’s Count.

Senator Ayotte is married to Joseph Daley, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force, who flew combat missions in Iraq. They live in Nashua, New Hampshire with their two children, Katherine and Jacob.