mr. sununu: i am for the death penalty. the law is the right law. mr. van ostern: as a matter of fate and conscious we should use life without parole. i would do nothing to change that retroactively. as governor i would not commute that sentence. moderator: in schools have been the news a lot lately. should a transgender student be allowed to use the bathroom they must identify with? mr. sununu: i don't think we should have bathroom police in new hampshire. we have led the nation when it comes to treating every citizen with dignity and equality and that is what we should continue to do. mr. van ostern: it's a local issue. if the local communities want to make that decision i support that. governor's office? mr. sununu: i have no interest in running for any other office again. i will not run for congress, i will not run for senate. i have a family and a business. that is why i'm running for governor. want to bring back the new hampshire way. that is our only hope is. mr. van ostern: for a national office. i'm running for a term of 730 days. i will wake u

both nano stern and soon a new -- both van ostern and sununu kept coming back to experience, dissecting each other's resumes. mr. van ostern: his only job in the past decade is working for the sununu family, when his family bought him a ski mountain for him to run. we have seen that he hasn't been able to keep an eye on the bottom line or look out for people. mr. sununu: we're the only resort on the entire east coast expanding. millions of doll o anybody for health care costs. colin will say anything to avoid the fact that while he was running campaigns, i was cleaning up hazardous waste sites. ray: the candidates for governor tackled top state issues, from the drug crisis to education costs, tax relief, and whether they think northern pass transmission lines should be buried. mr. sununu: there are some tweaks to this design but when you say you want to bury the whole line, that adds $500 million to the cost. that would come directly to the people of new hampshire. it's essentially cancelling the project. mr. van ostern: the discernment he says he shows when it comes to solar and renewable energy projects just

mr. sununu: look we've created jobs at waterville. we committed a wedding's group. we created restaurants. mr. van ostern: there are 62 fewer jobs than before he took over. mr. sununu: this a great example of not having any business experience and background. josh: gentlemen, i wish i didn't have a clock. ray: our granite state debates continue tonight with the u.s. senate candidates. kelly ayotte and maggie hassan will face off here at saint anselm college at 7:00. reporting live in manchester, ray brewer, wmur news 9. sean: thanks. opening statements are scheduled to get underway today in the retrial of convicted murderer gary sampson. he was sentenced to death back in 2003 after pleading guilty to killing two massachusetts men during a weeklong crime spree in 2001. after it was learned a juror lied about her background. this new trial will only decide if he gets the death penalty or life in prison. he was also convicted separately of killing 58-year-old robert whitney of meredith. erin: keene police are investigating a deadly accident involving a motorcycle. they

mr. sununu: that is not true. mr. ostern: not only that vote alone, he has repeatedly voted against a four to one vote on the executive council, he was the only council to oppose asking the legislature to go back to session to deal with this and voted it -- against it repeatedly and said he wants to repeal it again. there is no reason the legislature could not have taken that up and their traditional way, that was a political gimmick pushed forward by the governor. of the for three amendments, there were four amendments and i voted for three of them, the fourth one i simply wanted to read. he was a rubberstamp for washington special interest. a rubberstamp and said i do not care if i do not read it, we need to make forward -- move forward because the governor wants to, never the right way to do things and we need the governor to challenge their own party and push back and make tough political votes. moderator: we need to move forward because we could debate on this for all night but we have other things to get to hear

mr. sununu: another lie. my brothers are not lobbyists and if you will compare my brother -- the power lines to the mental health stability in our state and taking $40,000 it is deplorable. moderator: thank you. we have a lot of issues we want to get to but i would remiss if i did not ask one more political question, a presidential election like we have never seen. donald trump making some big news a few weeks ago with at audio recording of him from 11 years ago. with lewd comments directed for women. counselor sununu, we have talked about this, you call the comments repugnant and disgusting. you continue to support donald trump. how do you separate the comments from the man? mr. sununu: the comments are discussing, repulsive, no place for them or an attitude like that in the public discourse. i said that for many other comments he made. i will support the nominee i always said and i will. looking at the options, this election on the presidential site is not about one person, it is about the fabric of our cou

mr. van ostern: well, i'm running against a guy named chris sununu whose name is a lot better known. it's nice to meet you. >> you're running for governor. mr. van ostern: i am. >> against mr. sununu. mr. van ostern: you got it. his name is a lot better known than mine is so -- >> i know. jennifer: the 37-year-old democrat connecting with voters, talking about jobs in the granite state and sharing his background. mr. van ostern: well, i'm running because i want to make sure for my kids and all our kids that we keep this a great place to live and raise a family and grow a business. i used to work down the road here at stonyfield yogurt which is a great local employer and then at southern new hampshire university which has also been growing a lot and hiring a lot of people. i want to make sure we create good jobs, keep taxes low. 10 years ago, stonyfield had the biggest solar array in the state of new hampshire on the roof of the yogurt plant and now the biggest one is 20 times that. it's a good way you can actually create good jobs and lower time. jennifer: van ostern pointing out some

mr. sununu: it is about what kind of governor and government we want. we want a paid political operative that specializes in someone who is going to look you in the eye and give you the straight story, bring all ideas to the table each time regardless of background? mr. van ostern: i am working hard, and i will always put people ahead of political interests. that is where he usually work in new hampshire even when national politics are sometimes a mess. that is what i will commit to doing as governor. sean: new hampshire's u.s. senate race has been one of the most expensive and closely watched races in the nation. the outcome of this race could help determine the balance of power in the u.s. senate. incumbent republican senator kelly ayotte and her democratic challenger maggie hassan were both out late last night campaigning for votes in new -- campaigning for votes. erin: in new hampshire's first congressional district, three candidates are vying for a seat in the u.s. house. republican incumbent frank guinta hopes voters will recognize his experience.

mr. sununu: i'm a business guy, an engineer. i think people are looking for a governor who is a stakeholder in a lot of issues, whether energy or health care, all these issues really matter. someone who living and breathing them every day. kristen: kristen carosa, wmur, news 9. cherise: now to new hampshire's race for u.s. senate. making their last ditch effort to lure undecided voters in the race that is being followed across the country. mike cronin is live with their message tonight. mike: cherise, we saw both senator ayotte and governor hassan tonight in nashua for the annual salute our soldiers dinner here at the radisson hotel. kelly ayotte came to the radisson hotel tonight upb says granite staters are excited about the future the state and she says she has the plan to improve the economy. meanwhile, democrat challenger maggie hassan also had events throughout the state today. we caught up with her at a market basket in nashua. she touts the friendly environment in new hampshire for small businesses and says as senator, s

mr. sununu: they're excited for change. they're excited to let new hampshire make its next new step forward, instead of the same old thing. so as we get closer, all those undecided votes are really swinging to our side, and we feel great. sean: sununu and van ostern are both expected to speak at the nashua rotary club meeting this afternoon at 12:15. if you are worried about bringing your children to the polls tomorrow, help is the ymca in nashua will watch your kids for free while you vote, though you do have to sign up ahead of time. the seacoast ymca is also offering child care for a fee. and all the spots at the manchester y have already been filled. erin: recent polls have shown that a lot of granite state voters are still trying to decide who to vote for tomorrow. >> i'm on the fence. i'll walk in and probably decide a special looking at the struggle facing many undecided voters, as well as live team coverage of the last-minute push from the campaigns. "commitment 2016: the final hours" starts tonight at 7:00, right h

mr. sununu with a four point lead. >> tonight, the general election debate in new hampshire's crucial race for governor in our studio,'mam chris sununu and democrat colin van ostern. >> he said we need to inned. >> to score employ account points and imply aim genes expanded met okay is an absolute lie. >> to their high profile executive council votes. >> a lot of big issues in front of us that our next governor has to tackle. chris and i have had different points of views. >> even their real estate mays -- their resumes they don't see eye to eye. >> to compare my business background with colin's is comical at best. >> our debate begins right now. >> good evening. we want to welcome the candidates and thank them for come are to our studios and taking part in this important discussion of the issues and that matter most to you, the voters. >> the ground ruled. the candidates will each be given a question and have one minute to responsibility, at the end of that minute the candidates and the viewers will hear an audio cue of the discussion and myself, your moderators, 30 second rebuttalled wil

mr. sununu you bought up the fact that child-care receive 50 taos and dollars and made up of this original vote. >> what matters to meet is that was created for the same reason i did that means more doctors and more nurses and more beds available to our most vulnerable population. people at the new hampshire hospital 7,000 enrolled in the last three years mr. there because they have a mental illness and a danger to themselves or others. >> but one of the silver linings issue start to break down the state must to bring addiction at of the shadows we need to do that with mental-health my stepfather struggled with mental-health for years and in his final months he was found to be a danger to himself and others at that point he took his own life. the reality is patients and health care professionals and london ones is the reality is they face everyday they need what is right for patients. >> once again he is completely avoiding the question the fact i have been calling for this for months. behalf employee concerns when we had little choice we did move forward with 450 layoffs. and i just learn

mr. sununu to discuss the challenges facing the president elect. >> former new hampshire governor john sununu was named white house chief of staff two days after george bush accepted the presidential nomination in 1988. he knows firsthand what lies trump administration. >> so i feel a little sorry for them for perhaps underestimating how much work there is to be done in the next 70 days. >> he says that donald trump needs to quickly decide who will fill six positions. >> the chief of staff, advisor and legal counsel. in terms of the cabinet, it's the secretary of treasury, the secretary of state, and the director of the personal chemistry amongst that group, the president with each of those six and those six amongst themselves. >> they'll have just ten weeks to flesh out an agenda, make key appointments and hire thousands of personnel. >> the hardest thing for private sector people, focused people to understand in the political process is that you are now stuck into a game in which all president obama and president-elect trump was good for the country to see and unlike most countries, america

mr. trump say the decision will solely be his ... sununu says: "as kellyanne conway said, once the decision is made by donald trump, everyone will march behind him." and today ... just as michigan certifies mr. trump as the winner of its 16 electoral votes ... green party candidate jill stein still trying to launch a recount in that state ... along with pennsylvania and wisconsin ... republican strategists say the recount effort is just furthering the divide. sayegh says: "now hillary clinton -- who unfortunately is ending the chapter of her very long and historic candidacy on a very sad note." meantime, mr. trump alleging on twitter this weekend he would've won the popular vote ... if not for millions of people voting illegally. the white house that claim. earnest says: "there has been no evidence produced to substantiate a claim like that." blanchard ((on-cam tag)) says: "the recount in wisconsin is expected to start this week ... however, recounts in michigan and pennsylvania have not been been approved as of this evening. in washington,