Morse, on the other hand, mentioned Trump’s name in at least eight different responses, repeatedly citing his enthusiastic support of Trump as part of his plan to address a range of issues affecting New York State residents, from border control and illegal immigration to drug enforcement, high energy costs, inflation, unaffordable housing and more.

Morse said twice during the debate that Ayotte had “thrown Donald Trump under the bus,” referring to Ayotte’s decision shortly before the 2016 election to withdraw her support after an Access Hollywood tape surfaced in which Trump could be heard bragging about groping women without their consent.

Ayotte narrowly lost her re-election to Maggie Hassan this year because Trump won his race.

“She could not support Donald Trump and we lost our seat in the U.S. Senate for 12 years,” Morse said Tuesday.

Ayotte responded with a pointed tone: “That’s really bold coming from someone who has never won a race outside of his hometown,” she said, pointing out that Morse has lost previous runs for the U.S. Senate and the Executive Council.

One of the debate moderators, Steve Bottari, noted that Ayotte had said in 2016 that she wanted to make it clear to her then-12-year-old daughter that she was “more concerned with opposing Trump for his offensive comments than winning any election.” He asked Ayotte what had changed since then.

“We have to look at the record,” she replied, citing concerns about border controls, public safety, rising interest rates and inflation during President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ tenure in the White House.

“The record speaks for itself,” she said. “Were you better off under the Trump administration? The answer is yes, and that’s why I have to do what’s right for the American people.”

During a series of “lightning round” questions, WMUR political director Adam Sexton asked the candidates whether Vice President Mike Pence did “the right thing” on January 6, 2021, when he refused to go along with Trump’s plan to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Ayotte confirmed this, albeit indirectly.

“We have to make sure our laws are enforced,” she said. “And he wanted to follow the law, so that’s what he did, and I understand that.”

“Is that a yes?” Sexton replied.

“I think it is important to obey the laws and our Constitution,” Ayotte added.

Sexton then asked Morse the same question: “Yes or no, did Mike Pence do the right thing on January 6th?”

“No,” Morse replied. “No, I think the fact is that we should first make sure we have the facts and then follow the law based on those facts.”

Trump and his allies filed dozens of lawsuits after the 2020 election, and none of them could provide evidence of the widespread voter fraud he claimed caused his defeat. Trump now faces federal charges for his alleged attempts to obstruct the sessions of Congress on January 6 and for engaging in a conspiracy to deprive Americans of their right to vote.

The debate did not touch on Trump’s capital crimes convictions in New York or pending litigation in other courts.

Morse has not always been on the side of Trump’s electorate. He supported Jeb Bush in the 2016 presidential primary before endorsing Trump in the general election that same year, and his public image remains that of a fiscally conservative leader more comfortable with the state’s arcane budget processes than the bombastic rhetoric that has become typical of Trump’s supporters.

Trump has not yet declared his candidacy for president in this race, and his campaign team has not responded to a question about whether he will do so.

Steven Porter can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @Reporterporter.