Hayworth, Nan, 1959-

<p>Nan Alison Sutter Hayworth (née Sutter; born December 14, 1959) is an American ophthalmologist and former Congresswoman for New York's 19th congressional district. A Republican, she was elected in 2010.</p>

<p>In 2012, after redistricting, Hayworth ran for reelection in the new 18th district. She lost to Democrat and former Clinton White House staff secretary Sean Patrick Maloney that year and again in a 2014 rematch.</p>

<p>Nan Alison Sutter was born on December 14, 1959, in Chicago and was raised in Munster, Indiana, to parents who were both World War II veterans. Her mother Sarah Margaret Badley immigrated to the United States from England in 1948. A graduate of Munster High School, she went on to graduate from Princeton University with an A.B. in biology in 1981 after completing a 53-page long senior thesis titled "Studies of the Interphase Development of Dictyostelium Discoideum on Gradients of Cyclic 3':5' - Adenosine Monophosphate in Agar." She then studied at Cornell University Medical College, after which she trained in ophthalmology at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York. She first worked in a solo practice and in 1996 joined the Mount Kisco Medical Group.</p>

<p>A successful ophthalmologist and medical professional, Nan Hayworth entered Congress on a wave of anti-establishment sentiment during the 2010 elections. As a Member of Congress, Hayworth promoted conservative economic principles and used her medical background to inform health care policy. In a speech on the House Floor, Hayworth asserted, “I am here to fight for what is best for my constituents. . . . I am here to serve them and not any party or ideology,” she said. America had a bright future, she continued, “if we in Congress … can have the courage to move forward together in a spirit of true cooperation.”</p>

<p>Nan Hayworth was born Nan Alison Sutter on December 14, 1959, in Chicago, Illinois, to George Sutter, a certified public accountant, and Sarah Sutter, an immigrant from England. Raised in Munster, Indiana, Hayworth attended the local schools and graduated from Munster High School in 1977. She earned an AB in biology from Princeton University in 1981 and a medical degree from Cornell University in 1985. She met her husband, Scott Hayworth, an obstetrician/gynecologist, in college. The couple has two sons: Will and Jack. After managing a successful ophthalmology practice for seven years, Hayworth worked for the Mount Kisco Medical Group in 1996 until her retirement in 2005. She also served as an attending physician and a clinical instructor at local hospitals and worked as vice president of a health care communications agency in 2007.</p>

<p>Before entering politics, Hayworth described herself as a “well-informed citizen,” but she began seriously considering public office after the 2008 elections. “I was worried that the very character of America was going to be changing in ways I would very much dislike. . . . My comments were frequent and vivid, and my husband said to me one night … ‘perhaps you should run for Congress.’ And I said, ‘You know, maybe I could.’” Ari Fleischer, a family friend and former press secretary for President George W. Bush, also encouraged Hayworth to run. Launching her campaign in the fall of 2009, Hayworth ran in a district that extended along New York’s Hudson River Valley corridor linking New York City to the upstate suburbs. She faced minimal opposition in the Republican primary, beating Neil DeCarlo, a chief compliance officer at a small brokerage firm, with 69 percent of the vote. Hayworth faced two-term Democratic incumbent John Hall in the general election. With support from the small government Tea Party movement, Hayworth’s platform called for permanent tax cuts for all incomes, a general flat tax, and health savings accounts to replace the Affordable Care Act. On Election Day, Hayworth defeated Hall with almost 53 percent of the vote.</p>