early and often

‘Granite Grizzly’ Kelly Ayotte Narrowly Beats Tea Party in New Hampshire

Voters in New Hampshire’s primary chose Sarah Palin–endorsed Kelly Ayotte over Ovide Lamontagne as the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate by a small margin. Palin, who dubbed Ayotte a “Granite Grizzly,” recorded telephone messages sent out to voters this Sunday calling Ayotte “a true conservative.” Ayotte spent more than $2 million on her campaign against the Democrats and federal spending. Lamontagne, who also billed himself as a conservative and courted the tea party, lost by a margin of 1.5 percent. Lamontagne’s advisers say he’s still debating a recount. [CBS News]

‘Granite Grizzly’ Kelly Ayotte Narrowly Beats Tea Party in New Hampshire