US House NH District 2
New Hampshire's U.S. representative for the 2nd District represents that district's residents as federal laws are made in Congress in Washington, D.C. He or she is elected every two years for a two year term. The election takes place on the first Tuesday in November. Candidates are chosen by their respective political parties through a primary election earlier in the year.
2012-2022
Represents the western and northern parts of New Hampshire. The district includes the state's second-largest city, Nashua, as well as the state capital, Concord.
2022+
- Acworth
- Albany
- Alexandria
- Allenstown
- Alstead
- Amherst
- Andover
- Antrim
- Ashland
- Atk. & Gil. Academy Grant
- Atkinson
- Bath
- Bean's Grant
- Bean's Purchase
- Bennington
- Benton
- Berlin
- Bethlehem
- Boscawen
- Bow
- Bradford
- Bridgewater
- Bristol
- Brookline
- Cambridge
- Campton
- Canaan
- Canterbury
- Carroll
- Center Harbor
- Chandler's Pur.
- Charlestown
- Chesterfield
- Chichester
- Claremont-Ward 1
- Claremont-Ward 2
- Claremont-Ward 3
- Clarksville
- Colebrook
- Columbia
- Concord-Ward 1
- Concord-Ward 2
- Concord-Ward 3
- Concord-Ward 4
- Concord-Ward 5
- Concord-Ward 6
- Concord-Ward 7
- Concord-Ward 8
- Concord-Ward 9
- Concord-Ward 10
- Cornish
- Crawford's Pur.
- Croydon
- Cutt's Grant
- Dalton
- Danbury
- Deerfield
- Deering
- Dix's Grant
- Dixville
- Dorchester
- Dublin
- Dummer
- Dunbarton
- Easton
- Ellsworth
- Enfield
- Epsom
- Errol
- Erving's Location
- Fitzwilliam
- Francestown
- Franconia
- Franklin-Ward 1
- Franklin-Ward 2
- Franklin-Ward 3
- Gilsum
- Gorham
- Goshen
- Grafton
- Grantham
- Green's Grant
- Greenfield
- Greenville
- Groton
- Hadley's Purchase
- Hancock
- Hanover
- Harrisville
- Haverhill
- Hebron
- Henniker
- Hill
- Hillsborough
- Hinsdale
- Holderness
- Hollis
- Hopkinton
- Hudson
- Jackson
- Jaffrey
- Jefferson
- Keene-Ward 1
- Keene-Ward 2
- Keene-Ward 3
- Keene-Ward 4
- Keene-Ward 5
- Kilkenny
- Lancaster
- Landaff
- Langdon
- Lebanon-Ward 1
- Lebanon-Ward 2
- Lebanon-Ward 3
- Lempster
- Lincoln
- Lisbon
- Litchfield
- Littleton
- Livermore
- Loudon
- Low & Burbank's Grant
- Lyman
- Lyme
- Lyndeborough
- Marlborough
- Marlow
- Martin's Location
- Mason
- Milan
- Milford
- Millsfield
- Monroe
- Mont Vernon
- Nashua-Ward 1
- Nashua-Ward 2
- Nashua-Ward 3
- Nashua-Ward 4
- Nashua-Ward 5
- Nashua-Ward 6
- Nashua-Ward 7
- Nashua-Ward 8
- Nashua-Ward 9
- Nelson
- New Boston
- New Hampton
- New Ipswich
- New London
- Newbury
- Newport
- Northfield
- Northumberland
- Northwood
- Odell
- Orange
- Orford
- Pelham
- Pembroke
- Peterborough
- Piermont
- Pinkham's Grant
- Pittsburg
- Pittsfield
- Plainfield
- Plymouth
- Randolph
- Richmond
- Rindge
- Roxbury
- Rumney
- Salem
- Salisbury
- Sandwich
- Sargent's Purchase
- Second College Gt
- Sharon
- Shelburne
- Springfield
- Stark
- Stewartstown
- Stoddard
- Stratford
- Success
- Sugar Hill
- Sullivan
- Sunapee
- Surry
- Sutton
- Swanzey
- Temple
- Thompson & Mes's Purchase
- Thornton
- Troy
- Unity
- Walpole
- Warner
- Warren
- Washington
- Waterville Valley
- Weare
- Webster
- Wentworth
- Wentworth's Loc.
- Westmoreland
- Whitefield
- Wilmot
- Wilton
- Winchester
- Windham
- Windsor
- Woodstock
2024 US House Primary
Voting Date:
Democrat
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice (2022 - present); Adjunct Professor of Constitutional Law and Administrative Law, UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law (2019 - 2021); Law Clerk to Justice Stephen Breyer (2017 - 2018); Law Clerk to Chief Judge Merrick Garland (2016 - 2017); Senior Advisor to Senator John McCain (2013); Speechwriter & Foreign Policy Advisor to Senator Joseph Lieberman (2009 - 2012)
Maggie Goodlander is an attorney with extensive federal government experience, from working as a speech writer for the late Sen. Joe Lieberman to serving as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice. She is also married to Jake Sullivan, President Biden's National Security Advisor. Until recently Goodlander lived in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District, but that does not bar her from running in the 2nd District.
Van Ostern submitted the following background: "Colin is a New Hampshire dad, a business leader who has helped some of New Hampshire’s most innovative companies grow, and a former two-term state Executive Councilor, where he twice led the successful fight to restore Planned Parenthood funding in NH and was named the state’s Champion for Choice for this work. He stood up for workers and consumers against powerful interests to help bring an end to the Fairpoint labor strike, he is a leader in the fight for voting rights, and he successfully helped bring the Affordable Care Act to New Hampshire and extend Medicaid to cover over 50,000 NH families, with no state sales or income tax.
"In the private sector, Colin has worked as a business manager and executive at some of NH’s most innovative companies – including Stonyfield Yogurt, technology investor Alumni Ventures, and Southern New Hampshire University, where he helped launch a new, nonprofit online college that slashed higher ed costs and enabled thousands of working adults to earn a college degree, over 70% with absolutely zero student debt."
Colin Van Ostern is a former executive councilor and candidate for governor. He was the first Democrat to jump into the District 2 race after Rep. Kuster said she would not seek reelection. In his campaign announcement Van Ostern emphasized the threats to democracy, called for a national law protecting reproductive rights, and promised to "always look for common ground."
Independent/Other
Sterling Thomas Sykes is a lesser-known candidate for Congress.
Republican
Webmaster; candidate, U.S. Representative (2018); candidate, U.S. Senate (2010, 2004, 2016); representative, NH House of Representatives (2000 - 2001)
Tom Alciere is a self-described "orthodox libertarian extremist" who has run more than once for Congress. He definitely breaks from most Republicans on Trump - he writes on his website, "I do not support Trump. I never did. I never will. Trump is a total jackass, wholly unfit for public office."
Owner of Bluestone Inc. since 1984
Gerard Beloin is a lesser-known candidate for Congress.
Candidate, U.S. House of Representatives (2006, 2016, 2018); Candidate, NH House of Representatives (2012, 2014); candidate, U.S. President (2004); Sole Proprietor, Stone Works (1972 - present); independent scholar of NH history
Michael Callis is a lesser-known candidate for Congress.
Former representative, NH House of Representatives; communications
Casey Crane is a former state representative with a history of community involvement. She rejects "political opportunism" and her website states, "Casey believes it’s important to learn and respect work on the local and state levels and how they interact with the federal level to be able to help your constituents navigate bureaucracy and ensure our communities are getting what they need."
Author; artist; teacher; postal service employee
Robert D'Arcy is a lesser-known candidate for Congress.
Commodity trading; property management, Leeward Holdings llc (2015 - present)
Bill Hamlen built a career in commodity trading and describes himself as an expert in the energy industry. In his campaign announcement he said, "From fighting Biden's inflation to securing our borders — I'm a commonsense conservative who will take our New Hampshire values to Washington."
Founder & President, Kelan Advisors, LLC (2012 - present); lecturer, Harvard University (2017 - present); Board Member, Werner Enterprises (2021 - present); Board Member, Africa Opportunity Fund (2014 - 2019); lecturer, Yale University (2009 - 2017)
Vikram Mansharamani is an economist and author who ran in New Hampshire's 2022 U.S. Senate primary. His recent works include Think for Yourself: Restoring Common Sense in an Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence and Boombustology: Spotting Financial Bubbles Before They Burst. Mansharamani brings a unique, more moderate perspective to politics, which could help him win over voters who supported Democrat Rep. Annie Kuster - but those qualities also might make it difficult to win far-right voters in a Republican primary. Mansharamani announced his campaign in April 2024.
Physician’s Assistant; candidate, U.S. House of Representatives (2016, 2018)
Jay Mercer is a lesser-known candidate for Congress.
Lily Tang Williams came in third in the 2022 Republican primary in District 2. A year later she announced she would run again in 2024. Williams is a native of China and a fierce critic of the Chinese Communist Party. In her campaign announcement she said, "I fear that the country I love is becoming like the country I left. That is why I am running for Congress."
Appliance repair, single member LLC
Paul Wagner is a small business owner who moved to New Hampshire after completing his college education in California. On his website he writes, "at the age of 38 years old I find myself in a world where my liberty, freedom and general happiness are being threatened by domestic adversaries. ... I feel a call to action, to do whatever is within my ability to prevent these radicals from destroying the country I love."
