Senator Kelly Ayotte is the junior senator from New Hampshire and has devoted her life to public service. She currently is the only Republican in the New Hampshire delegation and is the youngest of the 20 female Senators currently serving in Congress. Prior to joining the legislature, Ayotte worked as a prosecutor for the New Hampshire Department of Justice. She then was appointed as the Attorney General of New Hampshire, becoming the first woman to hold the seat. Ayotte has been very influential in the Senate and has worked with politicians from both parties to create workable terrorist detention policies. As part of her strong commitment to reducing wasteful spending, Ayotte has also led efforts to save over $1 billion in the Pentagon’s budget. She has been considered one of the most influential women in the GOP, a leading voice in Congress on national security issues, and has been referred to as an “emerging force in Congress”.

Ayotte earned her B.A. from Pennsylvania State University and  J.D. from Villanova University School of Law.