Margaret Wood Hassan
Democrat junior Senator of New Hampshire
Senator
New Hampshire
January 3, 2017 - January 3, 2023
Senator
New Hampshire
January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2029
4
Congresses Served
2
Senate Terms
January 1, 1958 (66 years old)
Birthday
- Served as the junior United States senator from New Hampshire since 2017
- Was the 81st governor of New Hampshire from 2013 to 2017
- Graduated from Brown University and earned a J.D. from the Northeastern University School of Law
- Worked as an attorney before entering politics, including positions at Palmer & Dodge and Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Initially ran for the New Hampshire Senate in 2002, was elected in 2004, and served three two-year terms
- Became the State Senate majority leader in 2008
- Ran for governor in 2011, winning the election and reelected in 2014
- Elected vice chair of the Democratic Governors Association and served as a superdelegate at the Democratic National Convention
- Ran for the U.S. Senate in 2016, narrowly defeating the incumbent Republican by about a thousand votes
- Reelected to the U.S. Senate in 2022
- Daughter of Robert Coldwell Wood, a political scientist who served in the Lyndon Johnson administration
- Has a sibling who is a Tony award-winning actor
- Involved in significant legislative efforts, including the legalization of same-sex marriage in New Hampshire
- Faced controversies during her tenure, including issues related to campaign finance and staff misconduct
- Has taken political positions supporting background checks for gun sales, opposed the federal minimum wage increase to $15/hour, and has a mixed stance on marijuana legalization
- Received honorary doctorates from several institutions, including the University of New Hampshire and Northeastern University
- Married to Thomas Hassan, with whom she has two adult children, one of whom has cerebral palsy
- Member of the United Church of Christ