▁at ▁age ▁ 2 9 , ▁she ▁married ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁H . ▁St yles ▁Br id ges ▁of ▁New ▁Ham pshire , ▁a ▁wid ower ▁then ▁in ▁his ▁second ▁term . ▁ ▁Mr . ▁Br id ges ▁would ▁continue ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁for ▁sevent een ▁more ▁years . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁during ▁Senator ▁Br id ges ' ▁fourth ▁term , ▁the ▁New ▁Ham pshire ▁Sunday ▁News , ▁a ▁newspaper ▁owned ▁by ▁conserv ative ▁editor ▁William ▁Lo eb ▁III , ▁suggested ▁that ▁Mrs . ▁Br id ges ▁should ▁be ▁elected ▁to ▁New ▁Ham pshire ' s ▁other ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁seat . ▁Late ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁president ial ▁campaign , ▁she ▁accused ▁Senator ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁of ▁soft ness ▁toward ▁commun ism ▁and ▁of ▁absent ing ▁himself ▁from ▁the ▁Senate ▁when ▁ant ic ommun ist ▁legisl ation ▁reached ▁the ▁Senate ▁floor . ▁ ▁W id ow ▁Sen . ▁Br id ges ▁died ▁the ▁next ▁year , ▁on ▁November ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁ ▁Even ▁before ▁Senator ▁Br id ges ▁was ▁laid ▁to ▁rest , ▁Lo eb ▁editor ial ized ▁that ▁Mrs . ▁Br id ges ▁should ▁be ▁appointed ▁to ▁fill ▁his ▁vac ancy . ▁▁▁ ▁Although ▁many ▁assumed ▁that ▁Governor ▁Wes ley ▁Pow ell ▁would ▁either ▁appoint ▁himself , ▁or ▁Mrs . ▁Br id ges , ▁to ▁the ▁Senate ▁seat , ▁instead ▁Pow ell ▁appointed ▁ 3