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The Dartmouth
July 14, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Alumni compete across country

11.03.10.
11.03.10.

While three Dartmouth alumni ran for seats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in New Hampshire on Tuesday, other College alumni participated in races around the country from state senate battles to gubernatorial elections.

Republican Gov. John Hoeven '79 won the North Dakota Senate seat vacated by retiring Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan, defeating Democrat Tracy Potter in a widely expected victory. Hoeven, who has been the country's longest serving active governor, has not yet named a successor.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand '88, D-N.Y., who filled Hillary Clinton's seat when Clinton was appointed secretary of state, handily defeated Republican challenger Joseph Dioguardi in a special election to determine who would complete Clinton's term. Gillibrand, who was long seen as a vulnerable candidate, foresaw a tough road ahead in her victory speech.

"I haven't been in Washington very long, but I can tell you it's broken," Gillibrand said. "And the challenges we face have never been greater."

In Ohio's Senate race, Republican Rob Portman '78 cruised to an 18-point victory over Democrat Lee Fisher to fill the seat of the retiring Republican Sen. George Voinovich. Portman was the director of the Office of Management and Budget under former President George W. Bush and a former Representative from Ohio's 2nd congressional district. The win reflected Republicans' greater enthusiasm and organization in this year's midterm elections, The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported.

"In the end, hope and common sense have triumphed," Portman said in his victory speech. "Today, the people have spoken forcefully and clearly."

The race between Democrat John Kitzhaber '69 and Republican Chris Dudley in the Oregon gubernatorial election was too close to call at press time, but Dudley had a slight lead over Kitzhaber despite the Democrat's lead in the pre-election polls, according to The New York Times. The winner will replace current Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who cannot run because of term limits.

Tay Stevenson '10, one of the youngest candidates in the country this election cycle, surprised many when he decided to run for the Minnesota State Senate's 12th district. A member of the College Democrats and a government and philosophy major at Dartmouth, Stevenson chose to make a run at representing his of hometown of Brainerd, Minn. At press time, however, Stevenson trailed Republican Paul Gazelka by 12 percentage points, with 30 percent of precincts reporting, according to National Public Radio.

Michael Capuano '73, one of two Dartmouth alumni currently serving in the House of Representatives, was not challenged in his run for Massachusetts' 8th congressional district seat. A Democrat, he has now held the seat since 1999.

The other Dartmouth alumnus currently in the House, Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes '72, decided to leave New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district seat to run for the Senate seat that will be vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Judd Gregg. Hodes was defeated by Republican Kelly Ayotte by a wide margin.

Two alumni competed to replace Hodes's empty Congressional seat: Democrat Ann McLane Kuster '78 and Republican Charlie Bass '74. Bass, who filled the seat from 1995 to 2007, defeated Kuster in a hotly contested race.

**Update, 5:22 p.m.:* John Carney '78, who won Delaware's at-large House seat with a 56.8-percent majority, was one of the few Democratic pickups of the evening. Following stints as the state's secretary of finance and lieutenant governor, Carney made a failed gubernatorial bid in 2008 and moved to the private sector. He now helms Transformative Technologies LLC, a company specializing in renewable energy.