By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD – New Hampshire State Sen. Becky Whitley, D-Hopkinton, has announced she is forming an exploratory committee for a possible run for Congress in the Second Congressional District, joining a growing field.

The seat is being vacated after 12 years by Congresswoman Annie McLane Kuster, D-NH, who announced last Wednesday she would not seek a seventh term to focus on finishing her term and helping the Democrats win back the House and defeat Donald Trump who is again running for President.

Kuster and Whitley are both residents of Hopkinton, attorneys, and Whitley considers Kuster her “mentor.” She wrote in a post on X just after Kuster made her announcement.

“I feel like I am the right person for this moment,” Whitley said. Having a primary can help “get issues” in front of voters, she said.

Whitley currently serves the heavily democratic communities of Concord, Hopkinton and Bow in the state Senate. She only thought about running after being urged and encouraged by many. ”It was overwhelming, the outpouring,” she said.

Whitley said she will decide in the next few weeks with a June filing deadline.

InDepthNH.org first reported on Twitter X that Maggie Goodlander https://www.justice.gov/atr/staff-profile/maggie-goodlander-former-deputy-assistant-attorney-general of Washington, D.C. formerly of Nashua and the daughter of Betty Tamposi and wife of Jake Sullivan, Biden’s National Security Advisor is exploring a run.

One independent Ryan Donnelly, and at least five Republicans, Mark Kilbane, Lily Tang Williams, Robin Ng, Jason Riddle, and Paul Wagner, are also running.

Colin Van Ostern of Concord, the 2016 Democratic gubernatorial nominee and former Executive Councilor has announced he is running.

And there could be more to make it a very interesting primary.

In a statement, Whitley said Wednesday morning that “As a State Senator, lawyer, community advocate, and a mom, I’ve always been a steadfast champion for women, children, and working families. It is an absolute privilege to represent my community in the State Senate and bring my lived experience as a working parent to the New Hampshire State House. 

“I’m exploring a run for Congress because New Hampshire’s Second Congressional District deserves a proven and effective leader who will never stop fighting to protect reproductive freedom, to preserve our democracy, and to lower costs for hard-working families. 

“Our state has a proud tradition of sending strong women to Congress to fight on the front lines for our democracy’s future and for our fundamental freedoms. I have been truly humbled by the outpouring of encouragement to bring my solutions-oriented approach to D.C. It would be an honor to follow in the footsteps of my fellow Hopkinton resident and our beloved Congresswoman Annie Kuster, the district’s first woman to hold the office.  

“I know that while the Granite State is full of possibility, hope, and courage, we face clear and pressing challenges. But I don’t just talk about solutions for New Hampshire — I have a history of delivering actual results. I’ve sponsored and cosponsored legislation to protect the right to abortion, to support new moms and working parents, and to address our urgent childcare and housing crises.” 

A disability rights lawyer, climate activist and organizer, and child health policy specialist, Whitley is a graduate of George Washington University School of Business with a juris doctor’s degree from Vermont Law School, Whitley and her husband, Steven, have an elementary school student.

Her biography is here:

She posted on social media this weekend a trip to Washington, D.C. where she and other family members attended the Easter Egg Hunt at the White House.

“I look forward to connecting with my friends, neighbors, constituents, and the voters of New Hampshire’s beautiful Second Congressional District about their vision for New Hampshire and how we can work together to turn that into reality. Because when Granite Staters come together and put our minds to something, we are formidable. It is the grit and ingenuity of New Hampshire citizens that gives me the strength to fight for them every single day. ”

A State Senator since 2020, Senator Whitley has enacted legislation on the issues that matter most to Granite Staters. Despite being in the minority, she has generated bipartisan support to address New Hampshire’s childcare crisis, help new moms get the healthcare and support they need, address food insecurity, and protect access to abortion.