By Granite State Report
Governor Kelly Ayotte seems to have built her latest crusade not on leadership, but on resentment — particularly toward Massachusetts and Democrats. Her recent post declaring that she’ll never allow New Hampshire to “turn into a sanctuary like Massachusetts” exposes a familiar hypocrisy: a politician preaching unity and peace while stoking fear and division for political gain.
Sanctuary Cities as a Scapegoat
Ayotte’s framing of “sanctuary cities” as a threat to New Hampshire is political theater, not policy. Sanctuary designations don’t make states lawless; they prioritize local control over federal immigration enforcement. Ironically, the same “local control” Ayotte champions when opposing Washington’s reach suddenly becomes anarchy when local leaders use it to protect their residents.
By signing a ban on sanctuary policies, Ayotte has taken a hardline stance that undermines municipal autonomy — the very foundation of New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die” ethos. It’s a contradiction wrapped in a campaign talking point.
The Massachusetts Boogeyman
Ayotte’s not-so-subtle swipe at Massachusetts plays into an old political trope: painting the Bay State as a liberal contagion threatening New Hampshire’s purity. It’s a cheap form of cultural posturing — one that pits neighbor against neighbor for short-term political applause. But it’s also a distraction from the real issues facing the Granite State: housing shortages, healthcare costs, and a stagnant labor market.
The Hypocrisy of “Peace”
Kelly Ayotte has made a brand out of calm conservatism — the reasonable Republican voice who bridges divides. But her social media rhetoric increasingly mirrors the national culture war script: demonize Democrats, vilify the left, and invoke the specter of a neighboring state to rally the base.
You can’t claim to want peace while preaching paranoia. You can’t champion “freedom” while signing laws that tell communities what they can and cannot do.
Defiance in the Granite State
In response, activists across New Hampshire have declared eight sanctuary communities in defiance of the new law. Their message is clear: if the state won’t stand for freedom, they will. “We call ourselves the Live Free or Die State,” said spokesperson Megan Chapman, “and we can’t sit by while police-state tactics threaten our communities.”
That defiance — peaceful, principled, and rooted in local self-determination — is truer to New Hampshire’s spirit than Ayotte’s rhetoric ever could be.
