Biden national security adviser's wife launches run for House seat in key swing state

A former Biden Administration senior official, and woman of the president's nationalist information adviser, is launching a bid for Congress successful a cardinal northeastern battleground authorities wherever she was calved and raised.

Maggie Goodlander, the woman of National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and a erstwhile apical lawyer successful Biden's medication who served arsenic a lawman adjunct lawyer wide astatine the Justice Department, connected Thursday announced her candidacy for the unfastened spot successful New Hampshire's Second Congressional District.

"I cognize however to get things done and present for New Hampshire," Goodlander said successful a statement. "I’ll beryllium a workhorse for the radical of the Second District and I’ll ne'er halt warring for a freer and much conscionable Granite State." 

The announcement is apt to elevate an already high-profile contention to win longtime Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster successful a blue-leaning, but competitive, territory successful a cardinal wide predetermination battleground state.

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Maggie Goodlander, erstwhile lawman adjunct US lawyer general, astatine the Department of Justice (DOJ) successful Washington, DC, US, connected Monday, March 27, 2023. Goodlander was a Deputy Assistant Attorney General astatine the U.S. Department of Justice wherever she oversaw the international, appellate, and argumentation enactment of the Antitrust Division.  (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Goodlander joins a burgeoning tract of candidates aiming to win the six-term Kuster, who announced successful precocious March that she would discontinue from Congress alternatively than question re-election.

Goodlander could look plentifulness of scrutiny implicit Biden medication polices — some home and planetary — implicit her ties to Republicans, and implicit her residency. Goodlander's legislature run volition besides apt gully nationalist attraction to the New Hampshire race and perchance garner high-profile endorsements.

Goodland joined Sullivan astir 9 years agone erstwhile helium was moving arsenic a overseas argumentation advisor to erstwhile Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her 2016 statesmanlike campaign. The couple's wedding, attended by salient governmental figures including Clinton, now-Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, was a snapshot of the couple's agelong past successful Democratic politics.

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Sullivan worked arsenic Klobuchar's main counsel earlier serving arsenic an advisor connected Hillary Clinton's 2008 Democratic statesmanlike superior run and aboriginal connected erstwhile President Barack Obama's wide predetermination statesmanlike campaign.

He served arsenic lawman main of unit to Clinton during her years arsenic Secretary of State successful the Obama administration. After Clinton departed the administration, Sullivan became then-Vice President Biden's apical information aide. 

White House nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a property briefing astatine the White House successful Washington, Monday, March 18, 2024.  (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Sullivan past served arsenic a apical advisor connected Clinton's 2016 statesmanlike campaign. Four years later, helium was 1 of Biden's archetypal appointments pursuing the 2020 statesmanlike election.

While not arsenic good known nationally arsenic her high-profile husband, Goodlander hails from a salient New Hampshire family.

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Her grandfather, Sam Tamposi, was a large subordinate successful authorities Republican politics. Her mother, Betty Tamposi, ran for the House successful 1988 successful the Second Congressional District but mislaid successful the GOP primary.

In immoderate ways, Goodlander's communicative mirrors that of Kuster, the pistillate she's trying to win successful Congress. Kuster's parents were salient Republicans successful New Hampshire, but she ran arsenic a Democrat.

Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire (NH-02) marches successful an Independence Day parade connected July 4, 2022, successful Amherst, N.H.  (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Goodlander, a Yale University and Yale Law School graduate, served arsenic an quality serviceman successful the U.S. Navy Reserve and worked arsenic an advisor to precocious Senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain connected the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. 

She besides served arsenic a instrumentality clerk to Attorney General Merrick Garland during his tenure arsenic main justice connected the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Goodlander joins a Democratic superior tract that includes Colin Van Ostern, who worked arsenic Kuster's run manager successful 2010 during her archetypal tally for Congress, and who aboriginal won 2 presumption arsenic a New Hampshire enforcement councilor earlier winning the 2016 Democratic gubernatorial nomination. 

Van Ostern launched his bid the time aft Kuster's status announcement and was endorsed by the incumbent a mates of weeks later.

While Van Ostern has landed a bully woody of Granite State support, Goodlander's introduction into the contention could perchance displacement the landscape.

"I mean, it's beauteous uncommon to person idiosyncratic of this caliber who is 37, with beauteous unimpeachable roots successful the district, a immense nationalist network, and a demonstrable bipartisan record, who isn't already an elected official. It would beryllium a truly breathtaking dynamic successful 1 of the nation’s apical legislature races," a seasoned Democratic operative successful New Hampshire who asked to stay anonymous to talk much freely told Fox News.

State Sen. Becky Whitley, a progressive Democrat, is besides moving to win Kuster.

Eight Republicans, including 2022 Senate campaigner Vikram Mansharamani and Lily Tang Williams, who's making her 2nd consecutive bid for the legislature nomination, are running. 

Goodlander's run announcement highlighted her roots successful Nashua, "the metropolis her household has called location for implicit 100 years."

But for years, Goodlander and Sullivan person spent overmuch of their clip successful the nation’s superior due to the fact that of work.

The mates owns a location successful Portsmouth, New Hampshire. While the larboard metropolis connected the New Hampshire Seacoast is located successful the state’s First Congressional District, the geography won’t forestall Goodlander from moving successful the Second District. The U.S. Constitution lone mandates that a campaigner indispensable reside successful the authorities successful which they are moving in, not the circumstantial legislature district.

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The astir caller high-profile illustration of a Democratic legislature campaigner successful New Hampshire campaigning successful a territory extracurricular their residence was six years ago, erstwhile Levi Sanders — the lad of Sen. Bernie Sanders — ran successful the First District adjacent though helium lived successful the Second District.

While Goodland grew up successful the Second District, records reviewed by Fox News Digital amusement that the past clip Goodlander voted determination was by absentee ballot for the 2008 statesmanlike superior and wide elections.

Goodlander registered to ballot successful New Hampshire's First District successful 2016.

Fox News' Aubrie Spady contributed to this report

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