Liam Conner
Maggie Tamposi Goodlander, a former White House adviser and wife of national security adviser Jake Sullivan, launched her campaign Thursday to represent New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District after six-term Rep. Annie Kuster announced she would not would seek re-election.
“I know how to get things done and deliver results for New Hampshire,” Goodlander said in a statement. “I will be a workhorse for the people of the Second District and will never stop fighting for a freer and fairer Granite State.”
Prior to her time in the White House, she was deputy assistant attorney general, clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, and served as senior advisor to Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman.
Goodlander also served as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment.
“I deeply believe that no politician is above the law,” she said in a campaign launch video.
She married Sullivan in 2015 while he was working as an advisor to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. A few years later, they bought a house in Portsmouth, which is part of the state’s 1st Congressional District. Goodlander recently signed a lease in her hometown of Nashua, which is in the 2nd Congressional District.
Goodlander and Sullivan have struggled to have children, something she highlighted in her campaign video. She told the heartbreaking story of a miscarriage she suffered at 20 weeks, highlighting an issue that has been on the minds of voters — and Democrats — since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
“When I was almost 20 weeks pregnant, we found out we had lost our son,” she said in the video. “I went into labor and delivered our baby myself. This is where the effects of the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs became very, very real for me.”
“It is wrong that women in this state and across the country are denied the basic health services they need and deserve, and I want to fight for those freedoms every day as long as I can,” Goodlander continued.
Current law in New Hampshire allows abortion up to 24 weeks, with some exceptions.
Goodlander campaign video:
Goodlander is the third Democratic candidate to enter the race. Former New Hampshire Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern and State Sen. Becky Whitley are also running in the state’s Sept. 10 Democratic congressional primary.
Eight Republicans are vying for the Republican nomination in a district that leans Democratic but is expected to be competitive.
Sullivan did not respond to requests for comment, but a senior White House official told CBS News, “This is Maggie’s campaign, not Jake’s. He’s very proud of his wife for taking this on, but it’s absolutely her campaign — not his.” .”
“Jake will comply with the Hatch Act and all other applicable laws and policies,” the senior official added. “Jake has already engaged with White House ethics officials to ensure he fully complies with all obligations and responsibilities. This will continue as necessary.”
The Hatch Act is a law that restricts federal employees from using their positions for certain political activities.
