Potential gubernatorial candidate Sen. Forrester says first priority is state budget

Sen. Jeanie Forrester (R-Meredith) announced that she was considering running for governor, but said she would not make a final decision until after resolving issues related to the state budget, which Gov. Maggie Hassan vetoed in June. Sen. Forrester is the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and confirmed that the Republican Governor’s Association approached her earlier in the summer to encourage her to consider running.  

Forrester’s statement followed an announcement earlier in the week that Executive Councilor Chris Sununu would seek the Republican nomination for the governor’s seat.

Gov. Hassan has not yet revealed whether she intends to run for re-election, or whether – as some suspect – she will go up against U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte for her Congressional seat.