Kelly Ayotte made the Bay State a punching bag in her campaign, warning voters not to turn the Granite State into liberal Massachusetts, and apparently the strategy worked.

Kelly Ayotte was elected governor of New Hampshire on Tuesday ... She used a “Don’t Mass it up” slogan to rail against more liberal Massachusetts to the south while accusing Craig of supporting tax hikes and blaming her for crime, homelessness ...

Ms. Ayotte entered the race with greater name recognition than the Democrat, Joyce Craig, and was seen as a natural successor to Gov. Chris Sununu, a moderate Republican.

Kelly Ayotte has won the New Hampshire governor’s race, NBC News projects, defeating Democrat Joyce Craig to keep the seat in Republican hands.Ayotte will succeed Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who declined to run for a fifth two-year term.

Over the course of her campaign, former New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte has used Massachusetts as a stand-in for her criticisms of former Manchester, N.H., mayor Joyce Craig.

“We can’t trust Kelly Ayotte.” Loading... Ayotte’s relationship with ... promise to oppose new broad-based taxes – by criticizing her opponent’s ties to Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, a New Hampshire native who has repeatedly traveled there ...

Former Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte has won the New Hampshire governor’s race over former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig.

Republican Kelly Ayotte won the New Hampshire governor's race on Tuesday, The Associated Press projected, defeating Democrat Joyce Craig in one of the nation's only closely fought gubernatorial contests.

New Hampshire voters select their next governor on Tuesday, choosing between Republican Kelly Ayotte and Democrat Joyce Craig.

Joyce Craig conceded to former Sen. Kelly Ayotte in the New Hampshire governor's race. WBZ-TV's Tammy Mutasa reports.