Do NH residents support Gov. Kelly Ayotte, ICE laws, economy? See what new polls say

Yahoo

27-06-2025

About half of New Hampshire residents approve of Gov. Kelly Ayotte's handling of her job, although her approval has declined slightly over the past few months, according to a new poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center released in late May.
As of the May 29 poll, 49% of Granite staters approve of Ayotte, while 41% disapprove. In February, 52% approved and 34% disapproved.
The poll found that housing remains the most important issue in the state, followed by taxes, education and rightist politicians. Democrats are more likely to mention the political right, Independents are more likely to mention housing, and Republicans are more likely to mention taxes as their top issue.
The poll also looked at what New Hampshire residents think of legislation in the state, such as banning cell phones in schools and anti-sanctuary city laws.
The poll surveyed 1,343 New Hampshire residents online between May 22 and May 26. It has a margin of error of +/- 2.7%.
In May, Ayotte signed two bills into law that ban 'sanctuary cities' in New Hampshire and promote cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
According to the poll, Granite Staters are divided on these partnerships: 47% support state law enforcement agencies to enter into agreements with ICE while 50% oppose. Support is split by party, as 93% of Democrats oppose the agreements, while 93% of Republicans support them. 58% of Independents oppose.
Ayotte has encouraged legislation on banning students from having cell phones in class, with some exceptions.
According to the poll, 69% of Granite Staters support this policy, with majorities in each party. Democrats are the least likely to support a ban, with 57% supporting it compared to 77% of Independents and 78% of Republicans.
But New Hampshire residents are divided on another couple of state issues, like new car inspection and zoning policies.
The New Hampshire legislature has been considering changes to the current requirement that all cars be inspected every year. According to the poll, 27% of residents would like to keep this policy, 26% would like to eliminate this requirement, and 25% would like to change the requirement to every two years.
The legislature is also considering several bills that would require towns and cities to loosen zoning policies to make it easier to build new homes. Overall, 38% of Granite Staters support this, while 40% oppose.
UNH Survey Center released another new poll on May 30 that found that New Hampshire residents are increasingly pessimistic about the direction of the U.S. economy.
In that poll, 40% of Granite staters expect they will be worse off a year from now, while 33% think they will be better off. That's down from February, when 42% expected to be better off in a year.
People who think they will be worse off in a year cite higher prices or increasing inflation and believe the president or government will handle the economy poorly. 59% of state residents expect tariffs to have a negative effect on the U.S. economy, up from 53% in February and 56% in April.
'While key indicators continue to show the New Hampshire economy is relatively strong and stable, consumer confidence is weakening somewhat,' said Michael Skelton, president and CEO of the Business & Industry Association, in the poll. 'Factors such as economic uncertainty and concern about the impact of tariffs and inflation are weighing on the minds of consumers and employers and the decisions they make that drive the economy.'
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: What is Gov. Kelly Ayotte's approval rating? See new NH poll stats