Sununu says Kelly Ayotte's NH roots could be a ‘negative' as a Romney VP pick

— -- Mitt Romney campaigned with possible VP pick New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte Monday. But former New Hampshire Gov. John H. Sununu suggested during the trip that Ayotte's Northeast connections could be a "negative."

Sununu has been one of Romney's most outspoken surrogates during the primary season.

"Sen. Ayotte is a strong candidate on the list. She knows how to cut budgets. She knows that you cut spending instead of raising taxes to cut budgets. She's a hard campaigner," Sununu said, according to Politico's Ginger Gibson. "She's earned the respect of her colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Washington. Those are all the pluses. On the negative side, she is from the Northeast, and you've got to recognize that it may be a negative if both candidates are from the same region."

Sununu went on to say that there were as many as "20 names" on Romney's list.

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