Maggie Goodlander secures endorsement from EMILY’s List in primary race

EMILY’s List, the influential political action committee dedicated to electing Democratic women who support abortion rights, has endorsed Maggie Goodlander in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District primary contest.

The endorsement is a major win for the candidate, who announced her campaign after her primary opponent, former Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern, quickly locked up a high profile endorsement from outgoing congresswoman and current seat holder in the district, Congresswoman Annie Kuster.

Goodlander has quickly amassed a string of high-profile endorsements in her bid, including Former State Senator and former Democratic Gubernatorial Nominee Molly Kelly, former New Hampshire Chief Justice & Dean of the UNH School of Law, John Broderick, and former congressmen Paul Hodes and Dick Swett.

In a statement, Jessica Mackler, president of EMILY’s List, lauded Goodlander’s extensive public service experience, saying: “Maggie Goodlander has years of experience in public service, and we are proud to endorse her to represent New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District. Goodlander understands what it means to work on behalf of the American people and will fight to protect our fundamental freedoms and right to abortion access. We are confident that she will stand up against anti-choice extremists in the U.S. House and will ensure Granite Staters have access to affordable health care and protection against corporate monopolies.”

A third candidate for the seat, State Senator Becky Whitley, recently exited the race citing concerns over fundraising—concerns Goodlander is widely expected not to have to deal with, considering her vast network of connections through Washington.

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Goodlander most recently served as a senior adviser in the Biden administration, leading the Unity Agenda, which focuses on addressing the opioid epidemic, the mental health crisis, Big Tech accountability, veterans’ issues, and cancer research.

She is also a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Biden Justice Department’s antitrust division, served as a foreign policy adviser in the United States Senate,, and was an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve. 

She has also been a US Supreme Court clerk, taught constitutional law at both the University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth College, and served on several boards, including the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation and New Hampshire Legal Assistance.

Goodlander has quickly positioned herself as a leading candidate on women’s issues—such as reproductive rights—in a state where the issue has resonated as state Republicans signed an abortion ban in 2021 and pushed greater restrictions, including a propoed 15-day abortion ban, earlier this year.