Ann McLane Kuster '78 will face a crowded Democratic field and significant Republican competition as she seeks to advance in the 2010 race for New Hampshire's 2nd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to media and expert reports.
Kuster announced her intention to run for the seat on June 4 and has managed to raise nearly $160,000 during the first month of fundraising, she said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
Her campaign, which will be "very grassroots," has already attracted several hundred supporters, she said. Kuster has also hired staffers to manage finance, events and voter outreach as the team canvasses the area.
"I'm really getting around the district we're going full steam," she said. "What I love is reaching out and talking to voters about what they care about."
The House seat is being vacated by Rep. Paul Hodes '72, D-N.H., who will seek New Hampshire's open seat in the U.S. Senate.
Hodes's own bid for the Senate took an unexpected turn last week when state Attorney General Kelly Ayotte announced she would resign her post and explore the possibility of running for the seat. Ayotte had previously told New Hampshire Governor John Lynch she would remain as attorney general and not seek federal office, according to The Nashua Telegraph.
Ayotte's decision has the potential to significantly change the dynamic of the race, according to several sources. A recent survey by the University of New Hampshire found that Ayotte enjoys the most voter support among Republican candidates, allowing her to mount a strong challenge to Hodes in the general election, WMUR reported.
Ayotte is also considered a moderate Republican and a political "blank slate," increasing her potential as a candidate, according to a number of political commentators who weighed in on the 2010 Senate race in the last week.
Two other Democratic candidates in the 2nd District have formed exploratory committees to test public response in preparation for a potential House candidacy State Rep. John DeJoie, D-Merrimack, and former State Sen. Mark Fernald.
Bob Giuda, formerly a state representative, is the first potential Republican candidate to publicly announce the creation of an exploratory committee for the House seat.
Giuda and DeJoie told The Dartmouth they have spent the last few weeks traveling around New Hampshire and have seen a favorable public response to their candidacies.
DeJoie's fundraising efforts so far have been limited to "friends and family," he said, adding that he expects fundraising to be difficult as potential donors struggle with the economic downturn.
"Word of mouth will be a big factor in my campaign," DeJoie said, noting that he does not expect to be a top fundraiser in the beginning of the primary.
Giuda declined to provide a specific figure for donations to his committee but said he has received a "very positive, very favorable" response from the public so far.
"We are actually getting funds," Giuda said. "People are not only speaking but also writing checks, and that's a good thing."
None of the candidates had filed a campaign finance report with the Federal Election Commission by press time, according to the commission's website.
Amassing a "war chest" and gaining name recognition will the two crucial factors on which candidates must focus in the coming year, government professor Linda Fowler said in an interview with The Dartmouth. In order to demonstrate viability in the primary election, candidates must prove they can raise funds and be recognized by voters.
"New Hampshire really has a problem in terms of creating a stable of prospective candidates, because the state legislature is so large," Fowler said. "[Candidates] may be well-known in their community, but they may not be likely known outside of their home district."
This will be an issue for Giuda and other candidates with experience limited to the state legislature, unless they have participated in committees or statewide legislative efforts, she said. Kuster will probably have the advantage in name recognition because of her family's political connections throughout the state.
Kuster's mother, Susan McLane, was formerly a state senator, as well as a Congressional candidate in 1980. Malcolm McLane '46, her father, was mayor of Concord and a 1972 gubernatorial candidate, The Dartmouth previously reported.
"[Kuster] might not have a lot of name recognition among average voters, but a lot of people know her and know of her family," Fowler said. "She will probably have pretty good luck creating volunteer organizations and getting people to help her get the nomination."
Several other notable figures in New Hampshire politics are expected to enter the primary race. New Hampshire Executive Councilor Debora Pignatelli and State Senate President Sylvia Larsen, D-Concord, have been named in the media as potential candidates for the Democratic primary.
Speculation has also focused on political activist Katrina Swett, who amassed nearly $1 million in funding from her abandoned 2008 U.S. Senate campaign, according to reports in The Cabinet.
Swett's political history her husband, Dick Swett, previously held the Congressional seat and she herself has been involved in previous elections might give her a better position against competitors, Fowler said.
The Republican field is also likely to expand as Bob Clegg, who ran for the 2nd District seat in 2008, and Charlie Bass '74, who held the 2nd District seat until he lost to Hodes in 2006, are reportedly contemplating runs.
Radio talk show host Jennifer Horn ran for the seat in 2008 and is expected to join the 2010 race, according to media reports.
Horn's previous campaign and visibility as a Republican candidate might improve her chances for the current campaign, Fowler said.
Fowler also cautioned that until the candidates file their campaign finance reports at the end of the year, it is difficult to say with any certainty how they will fare in the primary election.
"At this stage of the game, being in the race isn't particularly costly, except in terms of time," she said. "Until [the filing] happens, it's hard to take anybody seriously."
Fernald could not be reached for comment as of press time.
