Scramble is on for NH congressional seat after Kuster announcement

New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District took center stage in political discussions in the state and beyond on Wednesday after six-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster said she will not seek reelection in the fall.

Some of the candidates who ran against her two years ago are considering running again. The district takes in the entire western portion of the Granite State.

Every competitive race in the U.S. House takes on special significance this year because Republicans are maintaining very narrow majority control.

The GOP now has 218 seats in the chamber, while Democrats have 213. Four are vacant.

Kuster, of Hopkinton, was first elected in 2012.

“As I look to the future, I am excited by the work and opportunities that lie ahead. We all have a role to play in standing up for what we believe in, advocating for a better future, and pursuing the change that we want to see,” she said in a news release.

“I always said I was not going to stay in Congress forever — I will not be seeking re-election in 2024.”

In the 2022 general election, Kuster easily defeated defeated Robert Burns, a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump.

“I will continue serving the people of New Hampshire until the end of my term in January 2025. In the months ahead, I will use my time to help Congress build on the progress we have made and finish the job for the American people,” Kuster, 67, said. “I will continue to lead the New Democrat Coalition to help pass comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to move our country forward.”

In the news release, Kuster said she was proud of her record of service, including as founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force and as chair of the New Democrat Coalition, a center-left group of House Democrats.

“I have helped bridge the partisan divide and find common-sense solutions to the biggest issues facing our country. While there is still more to be done, we have made great progress.”

In the crowded 2022 Republican primary for Kuster’s seat, Burns defeated then-Keene Mayor George Hansel, 21,065-19,024. Finishing third was Lily Tang Williams, of Weare, with 15,729 votes.

Hansel, who didn't return calls for comment on Wednesday, was twice elected as mayor of Keene, a highly Democratic city, and was seen as more moderate than Burns.

Last May, he said he would not seek another term as mayor, but added he wasn’t ruling out the possibility that he could pursue elective office in the future.

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State Sen. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene, said in an interview Wednesday it is very early to predict who might run to succeed her in Congress.

Asked whether he would be interested in running, Fenton said, “There’s plenty of time for politics here and when you consider running for office, you really have to consider Annie’s legacy and consider that we do need genuine leaders to take up the mantle and get things done as she has. So to be asked about something like that is certainly something to give careful thought to.”

He praised Kuster for “bringing common-sense to Congress.”

“She’s led the way on protecting reproductive freedoms, became a national leader in the fight against the opioid crisis and has been tireless in her constituent services,” Fenton said.

Former Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern, of Concord, a Democrat, who lost narrowly to Republican Chris Sununu in the 2016 governor’s race, might also be interested in running for Kuster’s seat.

“Perhaps her biggest impact has been as an inspiration, leader, and team captain for every one of us who have been fighting for decades to protect the full range of reproductive rights – from birth control and IVF to abortion access no matter what state you live in,” he said Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

On the Republican side, Burns, of Manchester, said he was strongly considering running.

He said that if he did run, he would campaign on securing the border and fighting drug smuggling.

Williams is running.

“Come to support my campaign as the front runner for the open seat in NH02,” Williams said in a post Wednesday on X. She scheduled a Wednesday evening campaign event at Outlaw Brewery in Winchester.

The candidate filing period for the Sept. 10 New Hampshire primary is June 5-14. The general election will be on Nov. 5.

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Rick Green can be reached at rgreen@keenesentinel.com or 603-355-8567.

These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org.