4 minPolitics
Lily Tang Williams wins New Hampshire GOP primary for 2nd District
Republican voters in New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District have chosen businesswoman Lily Tang Williams as their nominee, setting up a rematch against Democratic incumbent Maggie Goodlander in a district that has proven competitive despite the state's Democratic lean.
Republican voters in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District have nominated businesswoman Lily Tang Williams to challenge Democratic incumbent Rep. Maggie Goodlander in November, a race that Republicans see as a key opportunity to flip a House seat in a state that otherwise leans Democratic.
Tang Williams, an entrepreneur and co-chair of the New Hampshire Asian American Coalition from the town of Weare, defeated three other GOP candidates in Tuesday’s primary. She was also the party’s nominee for the seat in 2024, when she captured 47 percent of the vote against former Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster. This year, she will face Goodlander, who was elected in 2024 after Kuster retired.
The district spans the entire western part of New Hampshire, stretching from the Massachusetts border to Canada. It is one of only two congressional districts in the state, and while New Hampshire is considered reliably blue, the 2nd District has shown signs of competitiveness in recent cycles. Tang Williams’ 2024 performance, despite the district’s Democratic tilt, has encouraged Republicans who believe a strong candidate can flip the seat.
Tang Williams emerged as the clear front-runner in fundraising, hauling in nearly $1.2 million, while her closest rival, Victor Orlando, raised just $175,000. The other two candidates in the race, Dan Nicholson and Michael Anthony Callis, captured only tiny percentages of the vote.
A Chinese immigrant who describes herself as a survivor of communism, Tang Williams has pitched herself as an “open-minded” and “independent” figure. In an April interview with WMUR, she signaled a willingness to break with President Donald Trump when she believes it serves her constituents. Asked about the conflict in Iran, she denounced oppressive regimes and said she would like Trump to provide a plan for ending the war and reaching a peace agreement. She also criticized politicians who, in her view, use their offices to enrich themselves.
Tang Williams formerly chaired the state’s Libertarian Party, a detail that underscores her appeal to independent-minded voters in a state where registered independents outnumber both Democrats and Republicans. Both Tang Williams and Orlando described themselves as only center-right, a positioning that reflects the district’s moderate character.
The primary outcome is part of a broader pattern in which Trump-backed candidates have dominated Republican primaries across the country. In New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, Trump’s endorsed candidate, businessman Anthony DiLorenzo, won the GOP nomination to face Democrat Chris Pappas, who is vacating the seat to run for the U.S. Senate. That district is rated D+2 by the Cook Partisan Voting Index, meaning it leans Democratic but is considered winnable for a strong Republican candidate.
Republicans are hoping that Tang Williams’ fundraising advantage, her previous close finish, and a favorable national environment will help them unseat Goodlander and expand their narrow majority in the House. Democrats, meanwhile, are expected to defend the seat aggressively, pointing to Goodlander’s incumbency and the district’s Democratic registration advantage.
The general election is set for November 5.
