Maggie Hassan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maggie Hassan
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Official portrait, 2016
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| Ranking Member of the Joint Economic Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | David Schweikert |
| United States Senator from New Hampshire |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2017 Serving with Jeanne Shaheen
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| Preceded by | Kelly Ayotte |
| 81st Governor of New Hampshire | |
| In office January 3, 2013 – January 2, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | John Lynch |
| Succeeded by | Chuck Morse (acting) |
| Majority Leader of the New Hampshire Senate | |
| In office January 3, 2008 – December 1, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Joseph Foster |
| Succeeded by | Jeb Bradley |
| Member of the New Hampshire Senate from the 23rd district |
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| In office December 1, 2004 – December 1, 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Russell Prescott |
| Succeeded by | Russell Prescott |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Margaret Coldwell Wood
February 27, 1958 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Thomas Hassan
(m. 1983) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
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| Education | |
| Signature |  |
Maggie Hassan (born February 27, 1958) is an American politician and lawyer. She is a U.S. Senator for New Hampshire. She has been a senator since 2017.
Before becoming a senator, Hassan was the 81st Governor of New Hampshire. She served as governor from 2013 to 2017. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Hassan was born in Boston. She went to Brown University and then to Northeastern University School of Law. After law school, she worked as a lawyer.
Early Life and Education
Maggie Hassan was born Margaret Wood in Boston, Massachusetts. Her father, Robert Coldwell Wood, was a political scientist. He worked for the U.S. government. She has two siblings, including the actor Frank Wood.
She grew up in Lincoln, Massachusetts. As a child, she sang in choirs. Her parents were involved in politics. She helped them with political mail. She went to Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.
After high school, she studied history at Brown University. She graduated in 1980. There, she met her future husband, Thomas Hassan. She later earned a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law in 1985.
Early Career
From 1985 to 1999, Hassan worked as a lawyer. She worked at a law firm in Boston called Palmer & Dodge. Later, she was a lawyer for Brigham and Women's Hospital.
In 1999, the governor of New Hampshire, Jeanne Shaheen, asked Hassan to be an advisor. Hassan helped on a committee about education and money.
New Hampshire State Senate
Elections
Hassan first ran for the New Hampshire Senate in 2002. She lost that election. In 2004, she ran again and won. She was reelected in 2006 and 2008.
She served three two-year terms. She represented New Hampshire's 23rd district. This district includes towns like Exeter and Newmarket.
In 2008, she became the majority leader of the State Senate. This means she was the second most powerful person in the New Hampshire Senate. In 2010, she lost her reelection bid.
What She Did
Hassan worked on important committees, like the Capital Budget Committee. She helped create the state budget.
As majority leader, she played a big part in making same-sex marriage legal in New Hampshire. She worked to get enough support for the bill to pass.
Governor of New Hampshire
Elections
2012 Election
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In 2011, Hassan announced she would run for governor of New Hampshire. She won the Democratic primary election. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton supported her campaign.
In the main election, Hassan won with 55% of the votes. She became the second woman to be governor of New Hampshire.
2014 Election
In 2014, Hassan ran for reelection as governor. She won again, defeating her opponent with 52% of the votes.
What She Did as Governor
Hassan became governor on January 3, 2013. She was chosen as the vice chair of the Democratic Governors Association.
During her time as governor, she signed a bill to create a commission. This group would study how sea level rise might affect the state. She also helped resolve a disagreement at a grocery store chain that affected many jobs.
Hassan left her job as governor on January 2, 2017. She did this to get ready to become a U.S. Senator.
U.S. Senate
Elections
2016 Election
In 2015, Hassan announced she would run for the U.S. Senate. She ran against the Republican senator, Kelly Ayotte. This election was very close.
Hassan won the election by only about a thousand votes. This was about 0.1% of all the votes.
2022 Election
Hassan was reelected as a U.S. Senator in 2022. She defeated Republican candidate Don Bolduc.
What She Does as Senator
As a senator, Hassan has worked on many issues. She was part of a group that helped reopen the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On January 6, 2021, she was in the Senate when people stormed the U.S. Capitol. She called it a very sad day for the country. She also asked for an investigation into how security handled the event.
Committees She Serves On
- Committee on Finance
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
- Subcommittee on Children and Families
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Committee on Veterans Affairs
- Joint Economic Committee
Political Views
Maggie Hassan often votes in agreement with President Joe Biden's ideas.
Firearms
Hassan supports a system to check backgrounds before people buy guns. This helps prevent sales to people who should not have guns. She also signed a letter asking for a hearing on how to stop mass shootings.
Journalism
In 2019, Hassan supported a bill to create a memorial. This memorial would honor journalists who have died while doing their job.
Minimum Wage
In 2021, Hassan said she did not support raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. She voted against this proposal.
Personal Life
Maggie Hassan's husband, Thomas Hassan, was the principal of Phillips Exeter Academy. Because of his job, they lived in a house on the school campus. They did not live in the official Governor's Mansion.
They have two adult children. Their older child has cerebral palsy. Hassan is a member of the United Church of Christ.
She has received several honorary degrees from universities.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2016
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Maggie Hassan's signature
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Hassan speaking in April 2007.
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Hassan's official portrait as Governor of New Hampshire
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A campaign sign for Hassan in 2014.
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Hassan campaigning at a Hillary Clinton rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, in October 2016.
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Hassan being sworn in to the U.S. Senate by Vice President Joe Biden.
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Hassan speaking with Catherine Cortez Masto at a Senate committee hearing in June 2017.
See also
In Spanish: Maggie Hassan para niños
