Sen. Kelly Ayotte extended her lead Thursday over New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan as she looks to retain her seat in the Senate, according to a new poll.
With just over a month until Election Day, Ayotte leads Hassan by a 6-point margin, according to a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll. The Republican leads with 47 percent support to Hassan’s 41 percent.
The poll of 500 likely voters was taken from Oct. 3-5 and in the wake of Ayotte saying Donald Trump is “absolutely” a role model during a debate on Monday. Ayotte released a statement soon after, saying she “misspoke” and has tried walking back the comment ever since.
In a new ad released Thursday, Ayotte tried to make amends, saying that while Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are “far from perfect,” she isn’t either. Hassan is set to attack Ayotte for the remark in a new ad set for release on Friday, according to The Globe.
Ayotte has had a rocky relationship with the GOP nominee. While she says she plans to vote for him next month, she has not endorsed him and has not appeared with him on the campaign trail.
Overall, the incumbent Republican holds a slim lead, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average. She leads with 47 percent support to Hassan’s 45.4 percent — a 1.6-point margin.
