Representative Annie M. Kuster, who revealed less than two weeks ago that she won’t seek reelection, already knows who she hopes will succeed her in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District.
The six-term Democrat endorsed Colin Van Ostern on Tuesday in the nascent race for the Democratic nomination.
“Colin has the energy, intellect, experience, and temperament to take on our biggest challenges in Congress, including saving our democracy and restoring America’s faith in government,” she said in a statement.
Kuster praised Van Ostern for his four years of service on New Hampshire’s five-member Executive Council, and said he “stood up for women and families voting to restore funding to Planned Parenthood.”
Her statement, which referred to Van Ostern as a friend, didn’t mention he served as her campaign manager in 2010, for her first congressional bid.
Van Ostern has worked on a variety of Democratic campaigns over the years. He was the party’s gubernatorial nominee in 2016. He has worked as a business manager in the private sector as well.
Van Ostern’s campaign announced Kuster’s backing, along with a list of endorsements from more than 100 other current and former officials and community members, as he jockeys to quickly demonstrate his dominance.
He was the first Democrat to declare their candidacy, but he’s not the only one interested — state Senator Becky Whitley said last week she has formed an exploratory committee, and current White House aide Maggie Goodlander is seriously considering a bid as well.
Gary Hirshberg, cofounder of the Stonyfield yogurt company, had been mentioned among the many possible candidates for Kuster’s seat. But his name appears on the list of Van Ostern’s endorsers.
Other notable names on Van Ostern’s endorsement list include former Governor John Lynch, former New Hampshire Senate President Sylvia Larsen, and Concord Mayor Byron Champlin.
On the Republican side, a few candidates have stepped forward, and others are mulling their options.
Former Hillsborough County Treasurer Robert A. Burns of Bedford, who won the GOP nomination in 2022 then lost to Kuster, had expressed interest in running again. But he pivoted and declared his candidacy for Executive Council instead.
His top GOP rival in 2022, former Keene Mayor George S. Hansel, has confirmed he’s considering whether to run. The other GOP candidates already in the race include Lily Tang Williams of Weare, who finished third in the 2022 primary.
There is still time for more contenders to step forward. The filing period is two months away, and the primaries won’t be decided until Sept. 10 ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.