Poll: Romney Pulls Ahead in New Hampshire

New Hampshire is for the first time showing Mitt Romney topping President Obama in the presidential race.

With less than two weeks to go, historically blue New Hampshire is showing a 50% Romney to 48% Obama result in Rasmussen’s latest polling. Rasmussen has shown a steady move forward for Romney for some time. In October, Rasmussen had NH at 48-48, and in June, Obama was up 48% to Romney’s 43%.

In recent history New Hampshire has since 1992 gone mostly for Democrat presidential candidates. Obama won New Hampshire in 2008. John Kerry also won the state in 2004. Though Bush won by a sparse 1.2 percent in 2000, the state was back to blue in 1996 and 92 when it went for Bill Clinton.

Along with Romney’s gain, the Governor’s race in the Granite State has been a tossup all along, with Republican candidate Ovide Lamontagne holding at 48% while Democrat candidate Maggie Hassan stands at 46%. The numbers for these two have been wavering back and forth with rarely more than a few percentage points between them for quite some time.

As to the House races (no Senators are up this year), New Hampshire does have incumbent Republicans in both its House seats up for re-election. In the 1st District is Republican Frank Guinta, and in the 2nd is Charlie Bass.

While conservative activists may not be overly thrilled with either Republican Congressman, at least one of them might be able to keep his seat. Guinta, who faces Democrat Carol Shea-Porter, is rated at plus 10 right now in the RealClearPolitics averages. The outlook is not as bright for Bass, who faces Democrat Ann McLane Kuster. The RCP average for that race currently Kuster at a plus 3.

In the meantime, Politifact has had a field day knocking down the “pants-on-fire” claims of the Democrats in New Hampshire.

Here are just a few of the false claims made by Carol Shea-Porter, Ann McLane Kuster, and the Democrat Party of NH:

• Shea-Porter falsely claims Frank Guinta voted to cut funds for veterans
• FALSE: Kuster said Charlie Bass forfeits right to equal rates with TV ad
• NH Dems lie about Charlie Bass’ relationship with Big Oil
• Kuster “stretches truth” on Bass’ stance on Social Security
• NH Dems lie about Gunita’s vote for House budget
• Kuster’s recycled attack on Charlie Bass still false

As Romney surges in swing states and as he gains in New Hampshire, the expectation is that he provides coattails for the down-ticket Republicans on Election Day. With the races in the Granite state so close, even a tiny bit of help will push New Hampshire red.