By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
Newly elected Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander has a vision of alleviating inflation and tending to the housing crisis, and she feels these are two aspects that her constituents in Sullivan County will benefit from immediately with her in office.
“I feel full of gratitude for the voters of the second district who put their faith in me,” Goodlander said in an interview with the Eagles Times. “I am excited to get to work, and we’ve got a lot of work to do. This campaign was a truly energizing and optimistic experience for me. I really do believe there are areas we can make a big difference.”
Goodlander knows people are feeling a lot of pain right now, whether it is due to the high cost of living or the difficulty in buying a home. She pointed out that the cost of health care across the state is alarming, saying there are Granite Staters who can’t fill a prescription simply because they can’t afford it.
“I will be laser focused on finding ways to really tackle the pain that people are feeling from high prices,” Goodlander said.
All of Sullivan County is covered under District 2, and Goodlander made campaign stops within the region that included Claremont, where she got a chance to visit the Eagle Times newspaper and meet local leaders. During her travels she got to speak to residents and officials to hear first-hand what the issues are that they are facing.
“I believe that government is a team sport and we’ve got to work together at every level,” she said. “There are extraordinary partners all across Claremont and the Sugar River region. I believe that it is a quintessential comeback community for all of New Hampshire and the country. I couldn’t be more excited to partner with the leaders of Claremont and throughout the region.”
The seat was formerly held by Democrat Annie Kuster, who decided to retire after being in office since 2013. Goodlander praised the work she put in over the years, saying one thing she admired about her was that she was always looking to find common ground wherever it lies.
“We are a divided country, but the beauty of our constitutional system is that we work together,” Goodlander said. “That’s what we’ve got to do, so I’ll be focused on finding common ground to deliver real results for everyone in the district.
She added, “At the same time, I’m going to stand my ground and stand up for the people of this district and the constitution.”
This past election was clearly divisive, and important from the ground up. Voters hit the polls at high rates throughout the country, and Goodlander was proud to see this. However, there has been sense of doom among some Democrats, as they watched President Donald Trump get voted back into office and the House of Representatives fall back into the hands of the Republican Party.
However, Goodlander has a message to members of her party: “I believe we have a bright road ahead.”
“It’s going to take us all lifting ourselves up as we’ve had to do throughout our history,” Goodlander said. “And just really being focused on the mission. Number one, for me, it is to really listen. Whether you voted for me or not, I’m going to represent you. You are going to be on my mind and in my heart.”
Goodlander said it is important to “find a way to do our part.” She has been “so moved” by the people she met across the state throughout the election who stepped up and got involved.
“What we’ve seen throughout history is that this is the right course to be on, and we’ve got to stay this course,” she said. “I’m proud to be on this path with so many extraordinary people. These are people who voted for me, and those who didn’t vote for me who love this country and love this state.”
Goodlander believes bi-partisan solutions can be found to address some of the most urgent problems people are feeling when it comes to the pain of high costs.
“We’ve got a housing crisis in New Hampshire, and we have our own Project 2030 for this state which is to build 60,000 new homes,” Goodlander said. “That is going to take cooperation at every level of government.”
Goodlander is a Yale graduate and also graduated from Yale Law School. She has worked as a senior foreign policy advisor for Senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain. Goodlander was also a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve where she was an intelligence officer.
Her experience is vast, as Goodlander was a law clerk to Chief Judge Merrick Garland and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, and also served on the House Judiciary Committee where she was integral in Trump’s first impeachment. She was a counselor to the attorney general, an assistant deputy assistant attorney general, and a White House senior advisor where she led the United Agenda for the Nation under President Joe Biden.
While her time in Washington is something that will serve her well in her new role, she also has experience teaching constitutional law at both Dartmouth College and the University of New Hampshire, and said this is vital in how she will work.
“Some of the best preparation I have done for this job is teaching constitutional law and administrative law,” she said. “We have a complicated federal government, and Congress plays an important oversight role. I’ve worked in all three branches of our government and I do believe that this kind of experience will help me get to work right out of the gate.”
Goodlander will be officially sworn into office on Jan. 3, 2025, giving her just under two months to prepare. She will be involved in an orientation program that the House of Representatives offers and will also continue to “pound the pavement” to meet the people of District 2.
“I am excited to get to Claremont and the Sugar River region,” Goodlander said. “I will be doing a lot of listening, and that is the best preparation I can do for this job.”
She added, “I’ve got a lot of work to do, and two years goes by in a flash. I am going to be truly working my heart out every single day to deliver for this district.”
