The high-profile endorsement underscores just how politically connected Goodlander is at the national level. She worked as an advisor to US senators Joe Lieberman and John McCain, clerked for US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, and served as a deputy assistant attorney general in the US Department of Justice before her stint as a senior White House aide under President Biden.
Goodlander left the White House to move back to her hometown of Nashua, N.H., and launched her campaign in May. Her husband, Jake Sullivan, still serves as Biden’s National Security Advisor. He was a top aide to Clinton ahead of the 2016 election.
When Goodlander and Sullivan married in 2015, their guest list was a veritable who’s-who of Democratic power players. Clinton even delivered a reading during the wedding ceremony.
While Goodlander’s proponents see her connections and work experience in the nation’s capital as an asset, her opponents have sought to portray her as more closely linked to Washington, D.C., than to her district.
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Colin Van Ostern, who is competing with Goodlander for the Democratic nomination, served four years on New Hampshire’s five-member Executive Council and ran for governor in 2016.
“We appreciate and respect the role Secretary Clinton has played in our nation,” Van Ostern’s campaign manager, Jordan K. Burns, said in a statement Thursday. “But respectfully, this primary election is for the people of New Hampshire to decide, not outside interests — no matter how powerful.”
Burns said the endorsements that Van Ostern has collected from Democratic mayors in the district, state lawmakers, labor unions, and others reflect the trust he has built locally.
Van Ostern had served as Kuster’s campaign manager in 2010 and locked in her endorsement in April very shortly after Kuster announced her retirement.
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Colin Van Ostern and Maggie Goodlander are competing for the Democratic nomination in New Hampshire’s Congressional District 2 after Representative Annie Kuster announced she is not running for reelection.Colin Van Ostern/Maggie Goodlander
While Goodlander’s fund-raising in the second quarter alone outstripped what Van Ostern had raised since he launched his bid, she trailed him in terms of funds coming directly from Granite Staters, according to The Boston Globe’s analysis of their Federal Election Commission filing data.
About 88 percent of Goodlander’s campaign cash came from donors whose addresses are outside New Hampshire, while about 41 percent of Van Ostern’s came from out-of-staters — which means his in-state fund-raising more than tripled hers.
Goodlander has also faced critical coverage stemming from a comment she made to the Globe in her first interview confirming her candidacy. While sitting in her Nashua living room, she pointed out the window to the hospital where she was born, to the place where she cast her vote for president, and other sites where she said generations of her family had settled and made a living. She also confirmed that she and Sullivan still own their home in Portsmouth, which is in the state’s other congressional district, and recently signed a lease for the place in Nashua.
“I am a renter, and there should be more renters in Congress,” she added, leading to a round of dubious coverage from The New York Times, the Daily Beast, and other outlets.
During a radio forum Wednesday on “Good Morning New Hampshire,” Van Ostern made the case that he has a stronger sense for what Granite Staters want and need.
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“I’ve devoted my adult life to the people of New Hampshire,” he said. “I’ve been here — a year ago, five years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago — in our communities, fighting for us.”
Goodlander, meanwhile, defended the depth of her local roots and said her experience in all three branches of the federal government positions her for success in Congress.
“Look, the people’s house is a crazy place,” she said. “But we need people who are work horses, not show horses. We need people who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get things done, and that’s what I’ve been doing my entire life.”
In a statement Thursday, Goodlander said she is honored to have Clinton’s endorsement.
“She has led on so many of the toughest fights throughout her career,” Goodlander said. “Our freedoms are on the ballot this year: our reproductive freedom, our economic freedom, and our very democracy. … I’ll be ready to deliver on day one for the people of New Hampshire.”
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Democratic primary voters will decide between Goodlander and Van Ostern on Sept. 10. The winner will face off with the GOP nominee in the Nov. 5 general election.
Republican candidates in this race include Lily Tang Williams, William P. Hamlen, and Vikram Mansharamani. Their FEC filings show they have raised significantly less than Van Ostern so far, in a district that analysts view as tending to favor Democratic candidates.
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Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.
Schultz said she “highly respects” Aspell, too, but there was a “dissonance between reality” when eyeing what the public and city employees were earning.
Ward 6 City Council Aislinn Kalob, too, would not be voting for the increase, saying it had been “heavily on my mind since we’ve had our nonpublic sessions,” which lasted about six hours of work. She appreciated Kretovic clearly outlining the job of city manager. But people were frustrated with the city manager, and she saw that in the comments in online forums.
“I do feel, after really digging into this, and learning about his job,” she said, “and thinking toward the future when, eventually, at some point, somebody new will be sitting in that seat, we are the ones who direct policy and he is the one that implements it… there is anger out there that should be directed more toward us.”
Kalob said, too, a room full of firefighters, upset about their contract, also made voting for the wage increase something she could not consider.
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Michele Horne of Ward 2 echoed similar concerns to Schultz, saying there was significant “wage disparity” between the public and staff and the city manager. She also agreed with Kalob’s point that previous councils created this contract.
Sunflowers are my absolute FAVORITE flowers. I truly feel like they have magical uplifting abilities. Hence, why I’ve always kept fresh sunflowers in my house, brightening up my kitchen table or even my TV stand.
Obviously, it was a dream of mine to have my maternity photos taken in a sunflower field. They reflect sunshine and exude happiness.
Not to mention, one of my favorite quotes is about sunflowers! “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.” Helen Keller
A beautiful reminder to keep an optimistic outlook on life and not dwell on the negative.
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So, you can imagine the joy I felt when I learned that New Hampshire had its very own Sunflower Festival at Coppal House Farm in Lee!
Coppal House Farm via FacebookCoppal House Farm via Facebook
About the Sunflower Festival:
During the summer, the farm transforms into a sea of golden blooms, giving visitors the chance to wander through thousands of sunflowers, snap photos, enjoy local food vendors, artisan crafts, listen to live music, and experience one of New Hampshire’s most beautiful summer traditions.
Other unique activities on the itinerary? Sip-n-snip! Guests can enjoy a cocktail or mocktail of their choice and cut their own fresh bouquet of flowers.
Coppal House Farm via FacebookCoppal House Farm via Facebook
Or maybe you’re a yoga fan? You can join a 60-minute sweat session from Lee, New Hampshire yoga instructors right in the heart of the flower field.
And because the farm grows oilseed sunflowers for culinary oil (which they harvest in the fall months), the flowers only stay at their peak for a brief window, making the festival a limited-time experience, according to the festival organizers…
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What makes this event even more special is the reason behind it. The festival started as a way to share the beauty of the sunflower fields, but it has grown into something much bigger. Organizers say the event has raised more than $90,000 for Make-A-Wish New Hampshire over the years and now shares a portion of its proceeds with several local nonprofit organizations serving the Seacoast community.
Anyone who knows me knows that paying it forward is something that’s incredibly important to me. It’s right up there with my love of sunflowers because both fill my cup in the best way. So, when I found out this festival celebrates my favorite flower and gives back to the community, I knew I had to share it.
Sunflower Festival Details:
This festival only runs from Saturday, July 25th until Sunday, August 2nd. You can get the full list of activities and more on the Coppal Farm website.
Daily Field Hours
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10:00 AM – 6:30 PM (last admission at 6PM because fields close at 6:30) Weekend Tickets (prepurchased online – day before) $12 per person ages 13 & older $10 per person ages 5-12 $10 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free Weekend Tickets (purchased day of – online or at farm): $16 per person ages 13 & older $14 per person ages 5-12 $14 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free includes: access to sunflower fields, craft fair, food vending area, tented shade area, picnic area, farm animals, & live music
Weekday Tickets (prepurchased online – day before) $8 per person ages 13 & older $6 per person ages 5-12 $6 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free
Weekday Tickets (purchased day of – online or at farm) $12 per person ages 13 & older $10 per person ages 5-12 $10 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free
What tickets include: Access to sunflower fields, food vending area, tented shade area, picnic area, and farm animals
READ MORE: A Classic Fairy Tale Comes To Life At Portsmouth’s Prescott Park This Summer
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This festival might just leave you smiling long after you leave the fields!
What Flowers Thrive in New England
See what flowers thrive in New England weather: Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
Gallery Credit: Logan
14 of the Best New Hampshire Farms Offering Locally Grown Strawberries
14 of the Best New Hampshire Farms Offering PYO Strawberries
Ed. Note: If this was you and you are interested, please email [email protected] so I can put you in touch with OP.
“Dear PoPville,
I was biking home from a doctor appointment a little before noon on Friday, and stopped at a red light on New Hampshire & L st nw. There was a woman across the street who was looking fine in her dark blue (I think they were) scrubs. I might be crazy, but it felt like we kept checking each other out. By the third time,
if we were in a romcom, one of us would have waved. Sorry I didn’t, but if you are reading this and date men, reach out to the Prince if you are interested in that man on the bike. Have a great weekend!”
Ed. Note: If this is you, please email [email protected] so I can put you in touch with OP. PoPville is not affiliated with either party, please proceed with any potential connection at your own risk using caution as you would any online encounter. For those curious about past missed connections, many have been made and when possible I’ll try to update when/if more are made.
