Valley News – US House of Representatives: Goodlander wins New Hampshire 2nd District seat

CONCORD – Democrats maintained their dominance in New Hampshire's congressional delegation on Tuesday, with U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas being reelected in the 1st District and newcomer Maggie Goodlander winning the open seat in the 2nd District.

Goodlander, a former White House adviser, defeated Republican activist Lily Tang Williams. The district, which includes the cities of Nashua and Concord, has been in Democratic hands since U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster retired and won the first of her six terms in 2012.

Pappas defeated former Republican Sen. Russell Prescott to win a fourth term in a district that spans the eastern half of the state and includes its largest city, Manchester. It was once quite politically volatile, with party control changing five times in six election cycles from 2006 to 2016.

These are New Hampshire's only congressional districts. None of the state's U.S. senators, both Democrats, were up for re-election.

Here's what you should know about the U.S. House elections in New Hampshire:

2nd Congressional District

It took Tang Williams two tries to win the GOP nomination. She placed third in 2022 before beating out a dozen candidates in this year's Republican primary. Goodlander defeated an opponent and won the Democratic nomination.

Goodlander, who is married to President Joe Biden's national security adviser, grew up in Nashua and recently moved back there from Washington. She worked at the Justice Department as a top antitrust official and as an adviser to Attorney General Merrick Garland before moving to the White House chief of staff's office earlier this year.

During her campaign, she promised to protect democracy, expand access to abortion and take on corporate monopolies that she said are driving up the prices of housing, health care, prescription drugs and food.

“We can still come together as Democrats and Republicans to address the challenges that unite us as Americans, and I have done that on the front lines in the fight against some of the biggest drivers of high costs for the people of this state,” she said during a debate last week.

Tang Williams comes from China, became a US citizen in 1994 and now works as a business and legal consultant. A former chairwoman of the Colorado Libertarian Party, she unsuccessfully ran for office there before moving to New Hampshire.

She described herself as the embodiment of the American dream and said her priorities in Washington would be lowering inflation, improving border security and stopping what Republicans call the administration's “weaponization” of conservatives.

“Do you want someone who will truly represent the people or do you want someone from the D.C. swamp?” she said during last week's debate. “I will represent you with pride and transparency.”

1st Congressional District

Both Pappas and Prescott served on the Governor's Executive Council, a five-member panel that approves state contracts and judicial nominees. They overlapped during the last of Pappas' three terms and the first of Prescott's two terms.

Pappas, who considers himself a pragmatic voice in Washington, praised his support from women, veterans and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce during the campaign. He made abortion rights a top issue, calling Prescott “totally inappropriate” and accusing him of mistrusting women in health care decision-making.

“Truly, New Hampshire voters said today that they want leaders in Congress who reject extremism, who are members of the regular team and, most importantly, leaders who are focused on getting things done for America,” said Pappas to supporters in Manchester. “We have formed a powerful coalition of Democrats, independents and yes, Republicans, all of whom are tired of the division, cynicism and partisanship in our politics and want leaders who will put New Hampshire first.”

Prescott, who served in the state Senate for 10 years, said he opposes abortion but would not support a federal ban on the procedure. He said he would focus on security of the U.S.-Mexico border and reducing inflation and taxes. He said Pappas spent his time in Washington supporting liberal policies that he said led to higher taxes and illegal immigration.

Prescott ran for the same congressional seat in 2022 and finished fourth in the GOP primary, but defeated six candidates this year to win the nomination.

“I’m asking you to look at my record and my behavior and figure out who I am as a person,” he said during a debate last week. “And I ask again for your trust that we will work for you to ensure that we resolve our border issues, our economy, and ensure that we achieve energy independence.”