MANCHESTER — Fresh from her Democratic primary victory, Maggie Hassan painted her opponent as a Tea Party favorite Wednesday, while she said she would try to find money for Manchester schools if elected governor.

Hassan greeted supporters and customers at the Red Arrow Diner and said the upcoming race is one of stark contrasts. Just about every time she mentioned her opponent, Republican Ovide Lamontagne, she connected him to the Tea Party or New Hampshire House Speaker Bill O’Brien.

“We’re either going to continue moving forward in the tradition of Gov. Lynch to support middle class families and grow jobs or we’re going to move backward with Ovide Lamontagne, who is the Tea Party favorite,” Hassan said.

She said the Tea Party has walked away from public education, won’t let women make their own health decisions, and has dened citizens the right to marry the person they love.

Among those on hand were two Democratic state senate candidates who said the party will coalesce around Hassan. They expected her to be more involved in campaigns for senate and house races, in part because of necessity.

“She has to be,” said state Sen. Lou D’Allesandro, D-Manchester, noting she lacks Lynch’s notoriety.

“Getting the entire group together makes a good deal of sense for her,” said D’Allesandro, running for reelection to the district that includes the West Side and Goffstown.

“I expect all of the candidates to be working together,” said school board member Donna Soucy, who is running for the state senate seat that represents south and east Manchester wards and Litchfield.

Hassan was expected to spend the day in Manchester, where some high and middle school classrooms approach 40 students, exceeding state standards.

“Certainly if we were able to find more money to help Manchester schools, they wouldn’t have to make their draconian changes and cuts right now, and that would be a real effort on my part because we really need the schools to work for every kid.”

But she stopped short of staying she would step in as governor to force changes on the schools, saying the state and local governments need a balanced relationship.

Mayor Ted Gatsas has blamed crowding on teachers unions’ consistent refusal to make health care concessions, which other city unions have accepted in order to avoid layoffs.

Hassan, who has taken a pledge to veto any income or sales tax, would not pledge to cut business taxes, as Lamontagne has.

“We have to be able to fund our priorities,” she said. That includes restoring the cigarette tax cut and bringing back auditors at the Department of Revenue Administration, she said.

What’s next: The New Hampshire Democratic Party hosts a unity breakfast at the Puritan Backroom, Manchester, Thursday at 7:30 a.m.