The New Hampshire Democratic Party launched a new digital ad campaign on Monday targeting leading Republican gubernatorial candidate Kelly Ayotte for her ongoing association with State Representative Jon Stone.
The ad highlights a shocking report involving Stone, whose career in law enforcement ended after he reportedly threatened to kill fellow officers and commit acts of sexual violence against a police chief’s family. Despite these allegations, detailed by InDepthNH over two weeks ago, Ayotte has not disavowed Stone’s endorsement. His name continues to appear on her endorsement page, and their campaign photos remain active on social media.
NHDP Chair Ray Buckley criticized Ayotte’s silence and continued association with Stone, stating, “Kelly Ayotte is proudly standing by the endorsement of a man who threatened a shooting spree and sexual violence over New Hampshire police officers and families. Her refusal to renounce Jon Stone’s endorsement and condemn his abhorrent behavior is utterly disgraceful and completely disqualifying.”
RELATED: Op-ed: Why is Ayotte stonewalling?
This marks the first series of ads by the NHDP this campaign cycle aimed directly at Ayotte, emphasizing her alleged willingness to prioritize political ambitions over the safety and respect of local law enforcement and their families.
Multiple New Hampshire leaders have called on Ayotte to renounce her endorsement from Stone, including Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, a Democratic candidate for governor, who issued a statement on the failure to act.
“Kelly Ayotte is refusing to renounce Rep. Jon Stone’s support when she should have been the first person to call for him to resign from office. Kelly is too weak to stand up to extremists in her party even after they make violent threats. It is appalling that Kelly is campaigning with a man who threatened to kill police officers and rape women, and shows a serious lack of judgment,” said Craig.
Ayotte has faced increasing questions about her connections to investigations of Stone while she was Attorney General of New Hampshire in 2006, as a member of the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council which failed to revoke Stone’s law enforcement certification after being made aware of his termination.
