Kuster's stunning move to pass on 2024 reelection sets off scramble

Mar. 27—U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster's unexpected announcement that she will not seek a seventh term this fall set off a scramble in both political parties for New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District seat, a safe haven for Democrats since Kuster unseated Republican Congressman Charlie Bass 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. I always said I was not going to stay in Congress forever — I will not be seeking re-election in 2024," Kuster said Wednesday in a statement.

Kuster, 67, said she'll spend the rest of her term helping to lead the New Democratic Coalition and broker bipartisan compromise legislation.

"This work has been many things — rewarding, frustrating, inspiring, and challenging, but, more than anything, it has been an honor," Kuster said.

"As your congresswoman, I have had the chance to meet directly with the people who make New Hampshire such an incredible place to live, work, and raise a family. From our small business owners to our first responders, farmers, teachers, veterans, health care providers, seniors, and local leaders, every conversation has been insightful and has guided my efforts in Washington."

Gov. Chris Sununu wished Kuster well but said this decision gives his Republican party a great opportunity to flip the seat this fall.

"This is a winnable district for both Republicans and Democrats," Sununu said.

In 2021, Sununu vetoed redistricting maps created by the GOP Legislature that would have made Kuster's district more Democratic as legislative leaders sought to make it easier for a Republican to knock off three-term U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., who represents the 1st District.

"I didn't want to give a job for life to a Democrat in CD 2," Sununu said.

Pappas said Kuster was a trusted ally who will go down in history as the first woman elected to that seat and the Democrat who held it the longest.

"Annie is a trailblazer and a respected leader who always puts the needs of Granite Staters first," Pappas said.

This decision was unexpected in political circles. In the past 16 months, Kuster has been active on the job and on the campaign trail.

A prodigious fundraiser, Kuster had raised $1.6 million by the end of 2023 and had more than $1 million in the bank for a reelection bid.

Kuster's record

While in office, Kuster worked with then-U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta, R-N.H., to create a group focused on adopting policies to battle the opioid epidemic — now called the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force.

A Republican Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson pointed out that more incumbent House Democrats than Republicans have decided to leave at the end of this year.

"Yet another extreme House Democrat does not want anything to do with running on the same ballot with failure Joe Biden. Add her to the ever growing list of Democrats fleeing for the exits rather than defend a broken border, rising gas prices and slow economy," said Savannah Viar.

In the House, Kuster, who has spoken publicly about being sexually assaulted in college, co-chaired the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence.

Brendan Williams, of the New Hampshire Health Association, said Kuster was a tireless advocate who fought to increase grants for nursing homes after a COVID-19 pandemic funding formula shortchanged small rural states like New Hampshire.

Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley said he has been an admirer and personal friend of Kuster's for 50 years.

"Representative Kuster wasn't just a leader in the Granite State, she was a national figure who made working across the aisle a staple of her leadership. She was also willing to stand up to her own party and defended New Hampshire's first-in the-nation primary. For that and so much more, I am forever grateful for her service to our state," Buckley said.

The 2nd District spans the entire western length of the state from Nashua to the Canadian border.

Kuster's departure is likely to attract interest from prominent Democrats who represent the areas of Nashua, Concord, Keene and the Upper Valley.

Former Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern of Concord, the 2016 Democratic nominee for governor, was one of the first to congratulate Kuster.

"Annie has spoken truth to power on countless issues, like fighting to end the war in Iraq and for full LGBT equality before either were popular views even in the democratic party," Van Ostern said in a statement.

Van Ostern's last campaign was a bid to defeat former Secretary of State Bill Gardner in 2018. The New Hampshire Legislature, which selects the state's top election official, picked Gardner by a narrow margin.

List could be long

Other Democrats who could consider a bid include Senate Assistant Democratic Leader Becky Whitley, D-Hopkinton; Senate Deputy Democratic Leader Cindy Rosenwald of Nashua; Sens. Suzanne Prentiss of Lebanon and Donovan Fenton of Keene, Stonyfield Farm Yogurt co-founder and Democratic fundraiser Gary Hirshberg; and 2016 Democratic candidate for governor Andru Volinsky of Concord.

When former Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-N.H., decided she was retiring in 2018, 11 Democrats ran in a competitive primary, which Pappas won.

Assuming Kuster would run again, no well-known Republicans have been in the field, in contrast to the 1st Congressional District, where three GOP hopefuls are running in hopes of defeating Pappas.

Now that Kuster is out, Republicans who may consider a run include 2022 GOP nominee Robert Burns of Pembroke, runner-up and former Keene Mayor George Hansel, 2022 U.S. Senate hopeful Vikram Mansharamani of Lincoln and Bow, Insurance Commissioner D.J. Bettencourt of Salem and Steve Negron of Nashua, who has lost two runs for the seat.

Declared Republicans include Lily Tang Williams of Weare, a Chinese-born college professor who finished third in the 2022 primary, and Mark Kilbane, an Army veteran and businessman from Nashua who finished ninth in the 1st Congressional District primary, which Karoline Leavitt won in 2022.

Greg Moore, state director of the fiscally conservative Americans for Prosperity, who is also a GOP campaign operative, said national Republican leaders likely will look fondly on candidates who either have personal wealth or quick access to plenty of campaign cash to become viable in this shortened campaign cycle.

"Both parties already have a lot of seats to defend and until today this one wasn't in the top tier for the RCCC," Moore said. "Depending on who emerges in the next weeks and few months, that outlook could change."

Kuster, whose parents were liberal Republican state Sen. Susan McLane and GOP Executive Councilor Malcolm McLane, thanked her husband, Brad, and two sons, for their support.

Before serving in Congress, Kuster was a lawyer and health care lobbyist in the law firm led by former Attorney General Tom Rath.

Kuster's decision to step aside doesn't necessarily end her career in elective politics.

Many Democratic observers view Kuster as a leading contender if U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., decides not to run again in 2026.

klandrigan@unionleader.com