Embattled GOP rep’s primary too close to call

It’s unclear whether Rep. Frank Guinta (R-N.H.) will survive his primary. 

{mosads}The race was too close to call Tuesday night, with just a few hundred votes separating Guinta from businessman Rich Ashooh with 90 percent of the vote tallied. 

Guinta, whose campaign was beset by a campaign finance scandal, would be the sixth House incumbent this cycle to be defeated in a primary.

Last year, the Federal Election Commission found that Guinta violated campaign finance laws by accepting more than $350,000 in checks from his parents, which he used as a loan to his campaign.

New Hampshire Republicans including Sen.Kelly Ayotte, who won her primary easily Tuesday night, had called on him to resign. A WMUR Granite State poll in October 2015 found that about half of his constituents wanted him to resign. But Guinta’s numbers improved in an April version of the same survey.

Not all Republicans abandoned Guinta. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) hosted a fundraiser for him in late 2015, according to Roll Call.

Ashooh was saddled with low name recognition and lackluster fundraising, though he had some financial backing from super-PACs supporting his candidacy.

The winner of the 1st District primary will face former Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) in the general election. 

Shea-Porter faced Guinta three times previously for the seat. Guinta took the seat from Shea-Porter in 2010. He then lost the seat back to her in 2012, before reclaiming it from her again in 2014.

Shea-Porter goes into the matchup with a huge advantage in name recognition in the district. Democrats are hoping to pick up the seat as they seek to flip 30 House seats to regain control of the chamber.