MANCHESTER — Two years ago, they were foes in a tough U.S. Senate primary, but Bill Binnie is now on Ovide Lamontagne's team in his race for the Republican nomination for governor.

Binnie, who finished third behind Kelly Ayotte and Lamontagne in the 2010 Senate primary, today will endorse Lamontagne, calling him “a man of great character and conviction” who “will preserve our New Hampshire advantage.”

Binnie said he will soon resign as chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party's finance committee, as required by a party by-law that says party officers cannot endorse in primaries. He said he will remain a member of the finance committee, as the by-laws allow.

Binnie, the owner and chief executive of Carlisle Media and WBIN television, considered running for governor himself, but in May cited business considerations and his work for the party in announcing he will not be a candidate.

Binnie and Lamontagne do not agree on key social issues. Binnie is pro-choice, while Ovide is not. Binnie also supports the state's same-sex marriage law with its church “opt-out” provision. Lamontagne does not and is a strong backer of marriage being between one man and one woman.

But any disagreement between Lamontagne and Binnie pale in comparison to the bitterness built up during the 2010 campaign between Binnie and Lamontagne's current GOP gubernatorial primary foe, Kevin Smith, who, like Lamontagne, is a social conservative.

Smith, as the executive director of the conservative issues group Cornerstone Action in 2010, teamed with the New Jersey-based National Organization for Marriage in blasting candidate Binnie with negative advertising.

The radio and television ads cited his pro-choice and pro-same sex marriage positions and called him “shockingly liberal.”

In August 2010, Binnie filed a Federal Election Commission complaint against the Smith-led Cornerstone action, charging the ad was illegally coordinated with the campaign of primary foe Kelly Ayotte, the current U.S. senator.

Lamontagne said Binnie during the Senate primary “proved himself to be a man of character and conviction, while his message of reforming Washington resonated with thousands” of voters.

Last summer, with the state GOP in dire financial straits, former party chair Jack Kimball named Binnie, who also owns the Wentworth-by-the-Sea Country Club, party finance committee chairman.

“Today, the party is financially healthy with a dynamic and vibrant finance committee,” said Binnie. “I have every confidence they will continue the good work we have begun.”

Lamontagne said Binnie as finance chair led the party to “impressive gains that have set the stage for success this fall.”

- - - - - - - -

John DiStaso may be reached at jdistaso@unionleader.com.