Maggie Hassan

Maggie Hassan is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from New Hampshire since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the 81st Governor of New Hampshire from 2013 to 2017 and as a member of the New Hampshire Senate from 2004 to 2010. Hassan is known for her focus on healthcare policy, economic development, and bipartisanship in the United States Congress.

Early life and education

Margaret Coldwell Wood was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in the nearby town of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire. Her father, Robert Wood, served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under President Lyndon B. Johnson, and her mother, Judith Wood, was a teacher. She attended Phillips Exeter Academy before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Brown University in 1980. Hassan later received her Juris Doctor from the Northeastern University School of Law in 1985, where she was an editor for the Northeastern University Law Review.

Early career

After law school, Hassan worked as an attorney at the Boston law firm of Palmer & Dodge, focusing on commercial litigation. She later transitioned to a role in higher education administration, serving as the director of admissions and financial aid at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. Her entry into public service began with advocacy for her son, Ben, who has cerebral palsy; this led her to work with groups like the Disabilities Rights Center and to successfully lobby the New Hampshire General Court for a law requiring insurance coverage for children with disabilities. This advocacy propelled her first campaign for the New Hampshire Senate in 2004.

U.S. Senate

Hassan was elected to the United States Senate in 2016, narrowly defeating incumbent Republican Kelly Ayotte. She assumed office in January 2017 and serves on several influential committees, including the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. In the 117th United States Congress, she played a key role in crafting and passing the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. She was re-elected in 2022, winning a second term by defeating Republican nominee Don Bolduc. During her tenure, she has been a member of the bipartisan Common Sense Coalition and has worked on legislation related to cybersecurity, prescription drug pricing, and support for veterans.

Political positions

Hassan is considered a centrist or moderate Democrat. She is a strong supporter of the Affordable Care Act and has advocated for lowering the cost of prescription drugs, including supporting measures to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices. On economic issues, she emphasizes workforce development and has supported tax credits for research and development. She voted to confirm Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson but opposed the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett. On foreign policy, she is a supporter of NATO and has taken a strong stance against the Russian government following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. She has broken with her party on some issues, such as voting against the Iran Nuclear Deal in 2015 as governor.

Electoral history

* In 2004, she was elected to the New Hampshire Senate from the 23rd district, succeeding Democrat Beverly Hollingworth. She was re-elected in 2006 and 2008. * In 2012, she was elected Governor of New Hampshire, defeating Republican nominee Ovide Lamontagne and succeeding Democrat John Lynch. She was re-elected in 2014, defeating Republican Walt Havenstein. * In the 2016 U.S. Senate election, she defeated incumbent Republican Kelly Ayotte by a margin of approximately 1,000 votes. * In the 2022 U.S. Senate election, she was re-elected, defeating Republican Don Bolduc, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general. Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:United States senators from New Hampshire Category:Governors of New Hampshire