If New Hampshire Rep. Frank Guinta has any hard feelings about criticism from Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a fellow Granite State Republican he didn’t let it show. Instead he praised Ayotte in an interview with the Washington Examiner.
Ayotte, who is expected to face a fierce battle for her Senate seat, publicly called for Guinta’s resignation in May, one week after the embattled congressmen reached a settlement with the Federal Election Commission over a controversial campaign loan from his first congressional bid in 2010.
“I think most people feel that she’s done a good job,” Guinta said of Ayotte. “I think it’ll be a competitive race, there’s no question about it.”
New Hampshire’s Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan officially challenged Ayotte last week, prompting speculation that the race could become one of the most contentious in the country this cycle.
“They’re both fairly popular, and I think this will come down to a couple different things. First, what is the general feeling in 2016 nationally? And that will have some effect on the race,” Guinta said. “Secondly, a demonstration of accomplishment. And in that area, I give Kelly Ayotte the edge.”
“From a political standpoint, it’ll probably be one of the most expensive races in the country, so a lot of attention will be paid to New Hampshire in addition to the presidential process,” he added.
The contest has already attracted nearly $1.6 million from outside groups, trailing only the presidential and Ohio Senate races, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Most of that money has gone toward helping Ayotte.
Guinta’s own re-election campaign is expected to be a tough fight, thanks in part to the recent FEC scandal, which Ayotte has called “serious” and “very troubling.”
What’s more, New Hampshire’s first congressional district is considered extremely competitive. Guinta lost his seat in 2012 and only narrowly won it back from Democrat Carol Shea-Porter in 2014.
The FEC investigation earlier this year found Guinta improperly accepted a $355,000 contribution from his parents during the 2010 campaign, an allegation he has long denied. Guinta has said the money came from a family account and was technically his, although the probe found he did not have access to the account and did not pay taxes on the six-figure sum he was forced to repay this year, in addition to a $15,000 fine.
“I expect that someone will bring that up,” Guinta said of the controversy. “We settled the case that went back five years ago, and tried to bring some resolution to it.”
A number of Republican presidential candidates who were hoping to gain traction in the first-in-the-nation primary state — including Donald Trump, Carly Fiorina and Jeb Bush — gave personal or financial support to Guinta’s re-election effort before distancing themselves after the FEC revealed its findings, according to a report by the Washington Post.
“I made a mistake, I’ve apologized for it, we’ve settled it, it’s a closed matter,” Guinta said. “But if people want to try to distract voters and bring that up as a method to try to gain traction, I would almost expect it, but I’m not sure that people will buy it.”
Guinta’s most recent work in the House includes a measure to address New Hampshire’s rampant heroin addiction problem and another to force legislation that incorporates recommendations from the Government Accountability Office.
But he will face an uphill battle to hold onto his congressional seat next year, one that will depend both on his party’s national prospects and on his own ability to overcome a long-simmering scandal.
