New Hampshire attorney general Kelly Ayotte, a Republican appointed by a Democratic governor, has resigned her office to consider a campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2010:

“Today, I have submitted my letter of resignation to Governor Lynch effective Friday July 17, 2009. I want to thank the Governor for appointing me as Attorney General. I have had the honor of serving two Governors of different parties and I am grateful to both of them for allowing me to serve. It has been a privilege to serve the people of New Hampshire. I have been honored to work with our dedicated and courageous law enforcement officers to keep New Hampshire a safe place for our families. I have been proud to work with Governor Lynch to improve our criminal laws to protect our children from internet crimes and sexual predators.
Recently, many New Hampshire citizens have urged me to run for United States Senate. I appreciate their confidence in me. After discussing this matter with my husband, Joe, and our family, I have decided to resign as Attorney General in order to explore a campaign for the United States Senate. The Attorney General’s Office has a long tradition as a nonpartisan, independent office. In the five years I have served as Attorney General, I have been deeply committed to maintaining that tradition and the integrity of the Office. I do not intend to discuss my future plans or politics in any detail until such time as I leave the Attorney General’s Office.”

I talked a bit about her strengths and weaknesses yesterday. She already leads the expected Democratic candidate, Rep. Paul Hodes.

UPDATE: Keying off the Palin news, a couple of readers respond, “QUITTER!” and wonder if this counts as “abandoning her post.” Perhaps it’s worth noting that Ayotte has been the state’s attorney general since July 2004 and was deputy attorney general a year before that.