Kelly Ayotte wins New Hampshire GOP primary

Kelly Ayotte has won the Republican nomination for Senate in New Hampshire, defeating a conservative challenger by 1,667 votes.

The final result was certified by the Secretary of State’s office Wednesday afternoon after a slow counting of the ballots from across New Hampshire.

Ayotte, the former state attorney general, was considered one of national Republicans’ top recruits in a Senate race this year and also earned the monicker “Granite Grizzly” after Sarah Palin endorsed her candidacy.

But her narrow victory over Ovide Lamontagne, a Manchester attorney and former gubernatorial nominee, reflected the force of a more conservative electorate that had affected Republican primaries nationwide over the last seven months.

By state law, Lamontagne can request a recount.

If the result holds, Ayotte will face two-term Democratic Congressman Paul Hodes in November for the seat of retiring Republican Sen. Judd Gregg. Republicans have not won a statewide election in New Hampshire since Gregg was reelected in 2004.