Democrat · New Hampshire's 2nd District · 2026
Maggie Goodlander
Goodlander grew up in Nashua, where her family has lived for more than a century.
Biography
Maggie Goodlander was born on Election Day in Nashua, where her family has lived for more than a century.1 She is married to Jake Sullivan, who served as President Biden's national security adviser from 2021 to 2025.2
She earned her undergraduate degree at Yale in 2009 and law degree there in 2016.3 Her earlier Senate work included positions with Joe Lieberman and John McCain.3 She served 11 years as a Navy Reserve intelligence officer and clerked for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.4 She also taught constitutional law at UNH and Dartmouth.4
She also served as House counsel during President Trump's first impeachment proceedings.4 Goodlander was a deputy assistant attorney general in the Justice Department's Antitrust Division from 2022 to 2024 and later a Biden White House adviser.3 She entered Congress in January 2025 and serves on Armed Services, Small Business and Veterans' Affairs.3 Her legislative work includes cosponsoring the SEED Act, a proposal extending classroom supply expense deductions to early childhood educators.5
Her published platform supports abortion rights, protecting Social Security and Medicare, raising the minimum wage and reducing prescription costs.1 In October 2026, she introduced legislation with Republican Jefferson Shreve seeking a federal study of preapproved housing designs.6 She faces Republican Lily Tang Williams in November.7
Record and controversies
Investigation of the military orders video
Goodlander participated in a November 2025 video urging service members to refuse illegal orders, and federal investigators contacted her office about it.8 A grand jury declined to indict the six lawmakers in February 2026; Goodlander defended the video as consistent with her constitutional oath and denounced the investigation as abuse of power.8 CBS reported the Washington effort tabled; another venue remained possible.9