Ayotte or Craig will replace Republican Chris Sununu, who announced last year that he would not be seeking reelection. Sununu has been in office since 2016, serving four two-year terms. Before announcing he would not seek reelection, Sununu considered becoming a candidate for president, but he eventually decided not to run.

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

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.