Sen. Kelly Ayotte campaigns with Mitt Romney—a tryout for VP?

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, right, talks with Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., backstage before the start of a campaign event at the Rochester Opera House in Rochester, N.H., Jan. 8, 2012. (Charles Dharapak/AP Photo)

 

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Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney plans to campaign Monday in New Hampshire with Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, whose name has been tossed around as a possible running mate. Like past appearances with other possible V.P. contenders such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, today's event could be viewed as a "tryout" for the young senator.

Ayotte, a New Hampshire native who endorsed Romney months before the primary there, has been coy about the prospects that she could be on the list to serve as Romney's number two this fall. She was an active surrogate for the former Massachusetts governor throughout the primary season.

"We know that with his experience, he will make sure that we get our fiscal house in order in Washington, that we stop crushing all of us and our children with mountains of debt, and that we get Americans back to work," Ayotte said of Romney when she endorsed him in November.

Charles Dharapak/AP Photo

Republican presidential candidate, former... View Full Size

Charles Dharapak/AP Photo

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, right, talks with Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., backstage before the start of a campaign event at the Rochester Opera House in Rochester, N.H., Jan. 8, 2012.

Events like these act as trial runs for hypothetical tickets, giving the staff of each camp the opportunity to gauge the chemistry between the candidates and test the public perception of the duo in public.

In an interview with Fox News in November, Romney said he was considering her for the slot.

"There are probably 15 names of people," Romney said in response to a question about his list of possible running mates, "including Kelly Ayotte."

Romney, who owns a vacation home in New Hampshire and served one term as governor of neighboring Massachusetts, is very popular among Republicans in the state and won the primary there by a landslide in January.

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