Colin Van Ostern launches Democratic bid for Annie Kuster’s seat in Congress – The Boston Globe
I think the single biggest issue facing us right now as citizens is how our democracy is at risk and how Washington is broken, he said. It’s a dumpster fire in Washington.
Van Ostern said Congress has broken trust with the public, by putting extremists and powerful interests first. He said he plans to right the ship by pushing for a comprehensive national law to protect a full range of reproductive rights, including birth control, IVF, and access to abortion. Cutting household costs would be another priority.
Health care, childcare, higher ed, housing. That is how we restore a government that starts working again, he said.
Van Ostern, who lives in Concord, is a seasoned political operative who worked as Kuster’s campaign manager in 2010. He called Kuster a friend, but said he would differentiate himself from her if elected.
The truth is, we’re very, very different people. We’re from different generations, he said.
He was elected to the five-member New Hampshire Executive Council in 2012 and 2014, then lost to Republican Chris Sununu in the 2016 race for governor. He said he was proud of his 2016 gubernatorial campaign and that he found success with voters in the district he is now running to represent.
Kuster’s decision not to seek reelection this fall set the stage for the district’s first wide-open contest in more than a decade and triggered a flurry of questions and speculation about who all might jump into the race.
For her part, Kuster signaled plans to make an endorsement and expressed confidence that her party will hang onto the seat in the Democratic-leaning district.
I want to make sure that we have a candidate that can win my seat and I feel confident about that, Kuster told Fox News on Wednesday. I’ll let them make their own announcement, but I feel very, very good about us keeping the seat.
Other Democrats are rumored to be interested in running for Kuster’s seat. One of his former Executive Council colleagues, Andru H. Volinsky, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the nascent race. Nor did Democratic state senators.
On the Republican side, a few candidates have already stepped forward, while other potential contenders mull their options.
Former Hillsborough County Treasurer Robert A. Burns of Bedford, who won the GOP nomination in 2022 then lost to Kuster, told The Boston Globe on Wednesday that he is seriously considering another congressional bid. He said it is very likely that he will run this year.
Former Keene Mayor George S. Hansel, who finished second behind Burns in the GOP primary in 2022, did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment. Lily Tang Williams of Weare, who finished third, previously announced she’s running again.
I am energized that the voters of our district will be offered a choice based on issues rather than incumbency, Williams said Wednesday in a statement.
