Sen. Kelly Ayotte becomes focus of gun-control groups after voting against background checks

From The Washington Post:

The contentious political fight over gun control moved into the White Mountains of New Hampshire on Tuesday as gun-control activists began to focus on Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) as a prime target in their effort to revive their push for stricter gun laws.

Ayotte was a key, high-profile vote against the bipartisan plan to expand the national gun ­background-check program, which failed in the Senate two weeks ago despite overwhelming public support and extensive efforts by the White House. The failure was widely seen as a triumph for the National Rifle Association.

Ayotte was the only senator from the Northeast to vote no on the measure, which emerged as the latest barometer of the ideological and partisan divide that has gripped Washington in recent years. Even in New Hampshire, where there is a long tradition of support for gun rights, one poll this year showed that almost 95 percent of New Hampshire residents support background checks. “Almost nine in ten (88%) of New Hampshire adults strongly favor this proposal, 6% favor it somewhat, and only 5% oppose it. Even 83% of gun owners favor this proposal,” according to a WMUR Granite State Poll conducted in February.

Ayotte is the mother of two young children — and one of only four Republican women in the Senate, making her a coveted voice in the party. GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney used her extensively as a surrogate on the campaign trail and reportedly considered her as a potential running mate.

But less than a year after flirting with national politics, she has infuriated many residents by voting against background checks.