The Democratic candidate for Senate in the battleground state of New Hampshire declined to say Hillary Clinton was honest and trustworthy Monday morning after being asked three separate times.

Maggie Hassan, the state’s governor and challenger to incumbent Republican senator Kelly Ayotte, responded to CNN reporter Manu Raju's inquiries with a different answer each time he posed the same question. But she never addressed the topic, at one point complimenting Clinton's education plan, instead. Here's the full transcript:

Q : Do you think that [Clinton] is honest and trustworthy? Hassan: I support Hillary Clinton for the presidency because her experience and her record demonstrate that she's qualified to hold the job. [CUT] Q: Do you think she's honest? Hassan: She has, um, a critical, um, critical plan among others for making college more affordable. [CUT] Q: But do you think that she's trustworthy? Hassan: I think that she has demonstrated a commitment, always, to something beyond herself, bigger than herself.

Raju said after the interview that the Hassan campaign told him "of course she believes Hillary Clinton is honest". How convenient to put Hassan on the record without her saying it herself.

According to the most recent presidential poll of New Hampshire, 71 percent of likely voters responded that "honest and trustworthy" is not a description that befits Clinton. With a tight race and the media's focus on Trump's shortcomings, not Clinton's, it's doubtful Hassan would want to publicly represent the position of the 29 percent. That is not a fight any politician would pick. (Okay—most politicians.)

That same poll shows the same story about Donald Trump that we have seen across the country: Significant majorities of respondents say he lacks the temperament and preparedness to be president. 54 percent of New Hampshire likely voters report being "scared" at the idea of a Trump White House. So you could forgive Ayotte for distancing herself from the presidential nominee in the same CNN segment Monday, saying she'll vote for him, but not literally "endorse" him.

"There's actually a big distinction. Everyone gets a vote. I do, too. And, you know, but an endorsement is one where I'm out campaigning with someone. So, while [Trump] has my vote, he doesn't have my endorsement, and I'm going to continue to focus on, really, my race," Ayotte told Raju. "Also, I think the people of New Hampshire deserve to know, 'Will you ever disagree on a major issue with your nominee?' And, unfortunately, Gov. Hassan has not [with Hillary Clinton]. I have been clear. I have a long history of doing that, even before Donald Trump became our nominee."

Thirty-six percent of those in the CBS News/YouGov poll who report supporting either Trump or Clinton say they "don't really like either" candidate, but are "picking one anyway". And there's a new definition for the "one percent": That's the share of those survey takers who identify with the statement, "It's nice to have two good options" for president this year.

No wonder Hassan and Ayotte, like so many down-ballot candidates, are running for two things this year: office and the hills.