The race between Nashua native Maggie Goodlander and fellow Democrat Colin Van Ostern for the second congressional district nomination was never close.

Even in Van Ostern’s hometown of Concord, Goodlander beat him in all 10 city wards with 63% of the votes compared to his 37%, a breakdown that stayed consistent across the state as results rolled in.

“I want Colin’s supporters to know that they have a home in our campaign,” Goodlander said from Nashua. “We have got to work together to make sure we keep this seat blue in November, because doing that is essential to the better future that we’re going to build together.”

After Goodlander was declared the clear winner, Colin Van Ostern called for unity after a campaign that became bitter at times.

“I know she is a uniquely strong candidate, and that’s exactly what we need to win in November and carry our banner forward,” Van Ostern said from the Feathered Friend brewery in Concord. “She has my full support.”

On the Republican side, Lily Tang Williams emerged victorious in a 13-person field, receiving 36% of the vote.

Tang Williams held a campaign event at home in Weare and cooked for her volunteers. As results rolled in but before the race had been called, she expressed surprise at what she was seeing.

“I’m just grateful,” said Tang Williams. “If we do make history tonight and the first Chinese-American who survived Mao from Communist China wins nomination of the Republican party for Congress it would be historic.”

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“I’ve been telling people, ‘Pray for a miracle.’ So that means a miracle happened,” she said.

Tang Williams’ closest opponent in the primary, entrepreneur and economist Vikram Mansharamani, received 27% of the vote. 

“There’s been some disappointments in some of the towns,” Mansharamani told supporters at an event in the basement of The Barley House in Concord. “We’re not ready to give up, but it is getting late in the evening.”

An hour later, the Associated Press called the race for Tang Williams.

The race on the Democratic side pitted Goodlander, a fourth-generation Granite Stater and a member of the Tamposi family against Van Ostern, a former executive councilor who is married with two sons in Concord.

Goodlander has served on all three branches of government, including clerking for Supreme Court justices, serving as legal counsel on the first impeachment of former president Donald Trump and, most recently, leading the White House Unity Agenda under President Joe Biden.

Van Ostern ran for governor in 2016 but lost to Chris Sununu. He also made an unsuccessful bid for Secretary of State and ran a Manchester-based venture capital firm, Alumni Ventures. Van Ostern’s campaign has focused on personal stories of his 22 years living in the Granite State, experience being raised by a single mom, struggling with student debt and appealing to the middle class.

Bob Friedlander of Concord discovered Goodlander through a connection through his kids. He was at her first house party the night she launched her campaign. He said he’s seen her grow as a candidate in the past few months.

“She’s so since, she’s so relatable and she’s so humble,” Friedlander said. “On top of all that, she has the experience necessary to hold a federal position.”

Carl Hedberg of Lyndeborough said when he started receiving campaign flyers and went to his first Goodlander event in August, he was sold.

He compared Goodlander to other young, female political powerhouses like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a progressive congresswoman from New York.

“I immediately knew that she was one of these women that are rising to power,” Hedberg said. “She’s well-spoken, she’s knowledgeable … She has an air about her that’s very positive.”

At Martha’s Exchange in Nashua, Goodlander was joined on stage by her husband, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and her mom, Betty Tamposi. She said she’s prepared to keep fighting and win on Nov. 5.

Goodlander recalled when her mom ran for office in 1988.

“Her detractors, their slogan was, ‘A woman’s place is in the home, not in the House,’” Goodlander said. “We are flipping the script.”

If elected to Congress, she pledged to keep constituents at the forefront of every bill she votes on.

“I’m going to approach every single day, every single vote, by asking myself a very simple question: What is this gonna mean for the people of the second district here in New Hampshire?” she said.

Van Ostern’s political future remained murky after several high-profile endorsers, including former New Hampshire governor John Lynch abandoned the campaign in favor of Goodlander.

“I believe very deeply in the adversarial system of justice in our democracy, and I think at their best, campaigns give voters those same choices, the choice of representative self governance and the selection of our leaders,” Van Ostern said. “To me, this process that we go through is safe, and I respect it. I honor this outcome.”

U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster never withdrew her support for Van Ostern but quickly joined the Goodlander camp Tuesday night.

“Together, we must stand up for hardworking New Hampshire families by supporting reproductive freedom, lowering the costs of childcare and housing, and ensuring all Granite Staters can thrive,” she said. “I’m committed to these fights, which is why I will be proudly supporting Maggie Goodlander in November.”