New Hampshire and Vermont are very different places economically, culturally and politically. Even their mountains come in different colors.
But in the closing days of the 2016 election, voters are seeing a lot similarities. Both states have open races for governor. Both races for governor are extremely tight. Both New Hampshire Republican candidate Chris Sununu and Vermont Republican candidate Phil Scott say they favor abortion rights. However, in both states, Planned Parenthood and abortion rights groups have argued the GOP candidate’s support isn’t sufficiently strong.
As a result, the two men are running essentially the same closing ads touting their support for women’s health care, featuring local women discussing abortion and Planned Parenthood funding.
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The key line from the woman in the Vermont ad: “Planned Parenthood needs to be ashamed of themselves.”
The key line from the woman in the New Hampshire ad: “Chris Sununu has always stood tall for women’s healthcare. ... The ads attacking Chris are false, absolutely false.”
More than anything, the ads show once again how hard it is to run as a traditional Republican in New England, where support for abortion rights is more popular than other parts of the country.
James Pindell can be reached at james.pindell@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jamespindell or subscribe to his daily e-mail update on the 2016 campaign at www.bostonglobe.com/groundgame