Ayotte can probably thank Trump for these results. He’s surging in NH (along with the rest of the country) and lifting GOP Senate candidates as well. Ohio is already in the bag for the Republicans; looks like Rob Portman will absolutely crush Ted Strickland. In Florida, Marco Rubio has opened a lead on Murphy and should cruise as well. And other GOP incumbents look much better now than they did a month or so ago, with the exception of Mark Kirk, the RINO from Illinois.
When the most recent Ohio poll was announced, members of the GOP-E media wing instantly began congratulating Portman for running a brilliant campaign. To be fair, Portman has run a very good re-election race, but there’s no doubt he’s benefitting from Trump’s rise as well.
I am hoping the same happens in NH. Ayotte isn't my favorite Senator, to be sure, but if a strong performance by her helps Trump... I'm not going to throw it away.
Kirk in Illinois was a lost cause from the get-go, and it has nothing to do with Trump. He won that seat in an off-year election in a Republican wave. He was endangered from the instant he won.