Hayworth, Nan, 1959-

Nan Alison Sutter Hayworth (born December 14, 1959) is an American ophthalmologist and politician. A member of the Republican Party, she represented New York's 19th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013.

Born Nan Alison Sutter in Chicago, she was raised in Munster, Indiana where she 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. 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. Ari Fleischer, a family friend and former press secretary for President George W. Bush, was among those who encouraged Hayworth to run for office. Easily winning the Republican primary in 2010, Hayworth defeated two-term incumbent Democrat John Hall with almost 53 percent of the vote that November.

In the 112th Congress (2011–2013), Hayworth served on the House Financial Services Committee. Her legislative interests focused on creating jobs, limiting federal spending, and preserving Medicare and Social Security. Hayworth submitted eight bills during her term in the House, including the Burdensome Data Collection Relief Act, which sought to roll back disclosure regulations on Wall Street, and the Commuter Savings Act of 2012, which provided additional benefits to people who took mass transit to work rather than driving. In August 2011, Hayworth underlined her commitment to reining in federal spending by agreeing with House colleagues who sought to withhold an estimated $7 billion in disaster relief for districts—including her own— affected by Hurricane Irene. Hayworth called for cuts to “non-defense discretionary spending” to cover the costs. Hoping to build stronger cross-party relationships, Hayworth worked with Democrat David N. Cicilline of Rhode Island to found the Congressional Common Ground Caucus.

In 2012, Hayworth ran for re-election promising to cut regulations.She emphasized her record for supporting job creation initiatives, curbing federal spending, and preserving Medicare and Social Security. Following New York’s redistricting process, however, the state legislature had made Hayworth’s district more Democratic. Hayworth’s opponent in the general election was Sean Patrick Maloney, a former White House aide during the Clinton administration who also served under former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. Hayworth ended up losing to Maloney who prevailed with 52 percent of the vote; Hayworth took 48 percent. In 2014 Hayworth ran unsuccessfully for election to the 114th Congress (2015–2017). President Donald J. Trump later appointed Hayworth to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.