Ann McLane Kuster was first elected to the House of Representatives to represent New Hampshire’s Second Congressional District in November of 2012, and she was sworn into office on January 3, 2013. She came to Washington determined to put an end to the gridlock, and during her time in office she has established a record of working across the aisle to get things done for her constituents in the Granite State.
Prior to taking office, Annie served as a longtime community activist and adoption attorney who focused her career on increasing opportunity for Granite State families. A strong advocate for seniors, students, veterans, and women and their families, Annie has always been committed to fighting for the issues that matter most to Granite Staters, like increasing access to higher education and affordable health care, and cutting waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government to ensure our taxpayer dollars are used wisely. Annie played a key role in creating New Hampshire’s UNIQUE College Savings Program to help parents save for their children’s education, as well as the Medication Bridge Program to provide medicine to low-income families.
Since taking office, Annie has prioritized efforts to facilitate the creation of good jobs and to increase economic opportunity for every New Hampshire family. Annie knows small businesses serve as the backbone of our local economy, and she’s visited dozens of businesses throughout the Granite State. These visits helped inform the drafting of her 2018 Jobs and Opportunity Agenda, a blueprint of legislative proposals to expand economic opportunity in New Hampshire by bolstering apprenticeship and vocational training programs, addressing the out of control costs of higher education, investing in the expansion of infrastructure, increasing affordable housing, and supporting working families with paid family leave and childcare programs. Additionally, Annie has been hosting a series of job fairs throughout the Second District, where Granite State job seekers and employers can meet and connect.
Annie graduated from Dartmouth College in 1978 as part of the College’s third class that included women students, and from Georgetown University Law Center in 1984. Annie is a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, and before her election to Congress she maintained a private adoption practice in which she helped hundreds of New Hampshire families adopt children.
Annie was born and raised in Concord, New Hampshire. Annie’s late mother, former State Senator Susan McLane, was a pioneer for women in New Hampshire politics. Her late father, Malcolm McLane, was Mayor of Concord, a New Hampshire Executive Councilor, and one of the state’s most prominent attorneys for over 50 years.
Annie and her husband Brad, an environmental lawyer, now live nearby in Hopkinton where they raised their two sons, Zach and Travis.