Hassan, Maggie (Margaret C.), 1958-

<p>Margaret Coldwell Hassan (née Wood; born February 27, 1958) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States Senator from New Hampshire. A Democrat, Hassan was elected to the Senate in 2016 while she was serving as the 81st governor of New Hampshire, an office she held from 2013 to 2017.</p>

<p>Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Hassan is a graduate of Brown University and earned a J.D. from the Northeastern University School of Law. After graduating from law school in 1985, she worked at the law firm Palmer and Dodge. She later worked as associate general counsel for Brigham and Women’s Hospital.</p>

<p>Hassan first ran for the New Hampshire Senate in 2002 after Democratic Party leaders recruited her. She lost to incumbent Senator Russell Prescott but ran against Prescott again in 2004 and won. Hassan was elected to a total of three two-year terms, representing New Hampshire's 23rd district from January 2005 to December 2010. She became the Majority Leader in the State Senate in 2008 before losing reelection in a 2010 rematch with Prescott.</p>

<p>Hassan declared her candidacy for governor in October 2011. She defeated former State Senator Jacalyn Cilley in the Democratic primary and faced the Republican nominee, attorney Ovide M. Lamontagne, in the general election. Hassan won with 55% of the vote, becoming the state's second female governor. She was reelected in 2014. After becoming governor, Hassan was elected vice chair of the Democratic Governors Association and served as a superdelegate at the Democratic National Convention.</p>

<p>In 2016, Hassan ran for the U.S. Senate and narrowly defeated Kelly Ayotte, the Republican incumbent, by about a thousand votes (about 0.1% of the vote). She is serving with Jeanne Shaheen, another former governor. Hassan and Shaheen are the only two women in American history to be elected both governor and U.S. senator.</p>

<p>United States Senator Maggie Hassan is committed to working with members of both parties to represent New Hampshire values and to solve problems in order to expand middle class opportunity, support small businesses, and keep America safe, secure, and free. She is the second woman in American history to be elected both Governor and United States Senator, along with fellow New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen.</p>

<p>Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, Senator Hassan is working to combat the heroin, fentanyl, and opioid crisis; expand access to job training and make college more affordable for our students and families; help innovative businesses grow and create good jobs; and build a more inclusive economic future where all people who work hard to get ahead can stay ahead.</p>

<p>She is also focused on strengthening national security; protecting Social Security and Medicare; ensuring that veterans get the services that they need and deserve; combating climate change and preserving our natural resources; and protecting a woman's right to make her own health care decisions.</p>

HASSAN, Margaret Wood (Maggie), a Senator from New Hampshire; born in Boston, Mass., February 27, 1958; B.A., Brown University, Providence, R.I.., 1980; J.D., Northeastern University School of Law, Boston, Mass., 1985; attorney; member of the New Hampshire Advisory Committee to the Adequacy in Education and Finance Commission; member of the New Hampshire state senate 2004-2010, serving as majority leader 2008-2010; governor of New Hampshire 2013-2016; elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 2016 for the term ending January 3, 2023.