# Maura Sullivan > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Maura_Sullivan > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Maura_Sullivan.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maura_Sullivan > Source revision: 1351860679 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) This article is about government official. For the singer-songwriter, see [Maura Sullivan (singer)](/source/Maura_Sullivan_(singer)). **Maura C. Sullivan** (born October 18, 1979)[1] is an American politician and former government official. Sullivan previously served as an official in the [Obama administration](/source/Obama_administration) from 2014 to 2016 in both the [United States Department of Veterans Affairs](/source/United_States_Department_of_Veterans_Affairs) and the [United States Department of Defense](/source/United_States_Department_of_Defense). She also served on the [American Battle Monuments Commission](/source/American_Battle_Monuments_Commission) starting in 2010, and began her career as an officer in the [United States Marine Corps](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps) serving in the [Iraq War](/source/Iraq_War) after the [September 11 attacks](/source/September_11_attacks). Sullivan ran for Congress as a [Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) in [New Hampshire's 1st congressional district](/source/New_Hampshire's_1st_congressional_district), which includes [Manchester](/source/Manchester,_New_Hampshire), [Portsmouth](/source/Portsmouth,_New_Hampshire), and [Lake Winnipesaukee](/source/Lake_Winnipesaukee). On September 11, 2018, she lost her primary race for the 1st congressional district to [Chris Pappas](/source/Chris_Pappas_(American_politician)). In April 2025, after Pappas announced his run for Senate in 2026, Sullivan launched her campaign for the same House seat in the 2026 election.[2] ## Early life and education Sullivan attended [Northwestern University](/source/Northwestern_University) on an [ROTC](/source/ROTC) scholarship.[3] Sullivan then served as a logistics officer in the [U.S. Marine Corps](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps),[4][5] reaching the rank of captain, and her deployments included time in [Okinawa](/source/Okinawa_Island), Japan, and [Fallujah](/source/Fallujah), Iraq.[6] She earned the Navy Commendation Medal and a Navy / Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a Gold Star.[6] Following her military service, Sullivan attended [Harvard Kennedy School](/source/John_F._Kennedy_School_of_Government) and [Harvard Business School](/source/Harvard_Business_School).[3] She graduated in 2009 and worked at [PepsiCo](/source/PepsiCo) in management roles across [New England](/source/New_England).[7] ## Government career In 2010, Sullivan was named to the [American Battle Monuments Commission](/source/American_Battle_Monuments_Commission).[8] On October 1, 2014, [President Obama](/source/Barack_Obama) appointed Sullivan Assistant Secretary of [Veterans Affairs](/source/United_States_Department_of_Veterans_Affairs) for the Office of Public & Intergovernmental Affairs.[9] At the VA, Sullivan was the principal public affairs advisor to [Secretary](/source/United_States_Secretary_of_Veterans_Affairs) [Robert A. McDonald](/source/Bob_McDonald_(businessman)).[10] On June 22, 2015, Sullivan was named [Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs](/source/Assistant_to_the_Secretary_of_Defense_for_Public_Affairs), where she led communications policy for the Department of Defense.[11][12] ## Political career ### 2018 congressional election Main article: [2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire#District 1](/source/2018_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_New_Hampshire#District_1) On October 23, 2017, Sullivan announced that she would run for Congress in [New Hampshire's 1st congressional district](/source/New_Hampshire's_1st_congressional_district) less than three months after moving to the state.[13][14] After entering the race, Sullivan raised over $1.5 million and was endorsed by [EMILY's List](/source/EMILY's_List), Serve America, *[New Politics](/source/New_Politics_(political_action_committee))*, [WithHonor.org](/source/With_Honor_Fund), and [Vote Vets](/source/VoteVets.org).[15][16][17] Throughout the campaign, Sullivan was criticized as a "[carpetbagger](/source/Carpetbagger#United_States)" due to her lack of history in New Hampshire.[18][19][20][21] During her campaign, Sullivan was endorsed by [Seth Moulton](/source/Seth_Moulton), a fellow Marine Corps veteran and U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.[22] She was also endorsed by [Kathleen Sebelius](/source/Kathleen_Sebelius), the former Health and Human Services Secretary in the Obama administration and former Governor of Kansas.[23] Sullivan lost the Democratic primary on September 11, 2018, coming in second to [Chris Pappas](/source/Chris_Pappas_(American_politician)).[24] ### 2026 congressional election Main article: [2026 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire#District 1](/source/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_New_Hampshire#District_1) On April 10, 2025, Sullivan announced she would again run for Congress in [New Hampshire's 1st congressional district](/source/New_Hampshire's_1st_congressional_district), following Pappas's decision to run for [United States Senate](/source/2026_United_States_Senate_election_in_New_Hampshire).[2] Sullivan raised $400,000 in her campaign's first week.[25] She again received the endorsements of [Vote Vets](/source/Vote_Vets),[26] [With Honor](/source/With_Honor_Fund),[27] and Congressman [Seth Moulton](/source/Seth_Moulton), as well as Pennsylvania Congressman [Chris Deluzio](/source/Chris_Deluzio), a Navy veteran.[28] Shortly after her campaign was launched, Sullivan was criticized for [Tweeting](/source/Tweeting) that she was a "lifelong Granite Stater," despite only moving to New Hampshire in 2017. She subsequently deleted the Tweet.[29] Sullivan has been endorsed by [Democratic Majority for Israel](/source/Democratic_Majority_for_Israel), a group closely aligned with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).[30] ## References 1. Sexton, Adam (August 31, 2018). ["Maura Sullivan, Democratic candidate for 1st CD seat"](https://www.wmur.com/article/maura-sullivan-democratic-candidate-for-1st-cd-seat/22794099). WMUR. 1. Sexton (April 10, 2025). ["First on WMUR: Maura Sullivan launches 2026 campaign for New Hampshire 1st Congressional District"](https://www.wmur.com/article/maura-sullivan-2026-congress-campaign-040925/64436932). WMUR. Retrieved May 23, 2025. 1. ["The Military and the MBA: Maura Corby Sullivan (MBA/MPA 2009)"](https://www.alumni.hbs.edu/stories/Pages/story-bulletin.aspx?num=4703). *Alumni - Harvard Business School*. Retrieved 2018-04-22. 1. ["The new warrior elite - Maura Sullivan (5)"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151005010821/http://archive.fortune.com/galleries/2010/fortune/1003/gallery.military_business_leaders.fortune/5.html). *Fortune*. Archived from [the original](https://archive.fortune.com/galleries/2010/fortune/1003/gallery.military_business_leaders.fortune/5.html) on October 5, 2015. 1. ["Maura Sullivan (George Fellow '09) Appointed Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at Department of Defense"](https://cpl.hks.harvard.edu/news/cpl-fellow-alum-maura-sullivan-george-09-appointed-assistant-ash-carter). *cpl.hks.harvard.edu* 1. ["Maura C. Sullivan"](https://www.war.gov/About/Biographies/Article/621461/maura-c-sullivan/). U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 2018-04-22. 1. ["Maura Corby Sullivan - French-American Foundation"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180423033735/https://frenchamerican.org/young-leader/maura-corby-sullivan/). French-American Foundation. Archived from [the original](https://frenchamerican.org/young-leader/maura-corby-sullivan/) on April 23, 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-22. 1. ["The Commission"](https://www.abmc.gov/about-us/commission). American Battle Monuments Commission. Retrieved 2018-04-22. 1. ["President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts"](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/10/01/president-obama-announces-more-key-administration-posts). *whitehouse.gov*. 2014-10-01. Retrieved 2018-04-22. 1. ["Maura Sullivan (George Fellow '09) Appointed Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at Department of Defense"](https://cpl.hks.harvard.edu/news/cpl-fellow-alum-maura-sullivan-george-09-appointed-assistant-ash-carter). *cpl.hks.harvard.edu*. Retrieved 2018-04-22. 1. ["Sullivan to Become DoD's Public Affairs Chief, Carter Says"](https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/604862/sullivan-to-become-dods-public-affairs-chief-carter-says/). U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved 2018-04-22. 1. ["DOD Appointments"](https://insidedefense.com/insider/dod-appointments). *InsideDefense.com*. July 15, 2015. 1. Moon, Jason. ["Maura Sullivan, Former Marine and VA Official, Announces Bid for Congress"](http://nhpr.org/post/maura-sullivan-former-marine-and-va-official-announces-bid-congress). Retrieved 2018-04-22. 1. ["She moved to the state last year. Now she's running for Congress. Can she win in N.H.?"](https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/08/12/she-moved-state-last-year-now-she-running-for-congress-can-she-win/uRh92sRF5eNuiPhzhTW7iI/story.html). *The Boston Globe*. Retrieved 2018-08-16. 1. ["Maura Sullivan"](https://www.emilyslist.org/candidates/maura-sullivan). EMILY's List. Retrieved 2018-04-22. 1. ["Maura Sullivan for Congress"](http://www.votevets.org/candidates/maura-sullivan-for-congress). VoteVets. Retrieved 2018-04-22. 1. DiStaso, John (2018-07-09). ["Democrat Maura Sullivan raises $604K for congressional campaign in 2nd quarter"](https://www.wmur.com/article/democrat-maura-sullivan-raises-dollar604k-for-congressional-campaign-in-2nd-quarter/22088638). WMUR. Retrieved 2018-08-06. 1. Pindell, James (October 24, 2017). ["N.H. congressional candidate announces bid with a logo that gets the state’s shape wrong - The Boston Globe"](https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/10/24/congressional-candidate-announces-bid-with-logo-that-gets-state-shape-wrong/w2pE9bsAbEuYrRJTdVXAHM/story.html). *BostonGlobe.com*. Retrieved 2025-05-28. 1. Sexton, Adam (2018-03-02). ["2 Democratic candidates in 1st District face carpetbagger charges"](https://www.wmur.com/article/2-democratic-candidates-in-1st-district-face-carpetbagger-charges/19063172). *WMUR*. Retrieved 2025-05-28. 1. Graham, Michael (2018-08-24). ["Maura Sullivan, America's Top Carpetbagger?"](https://insidesources.com/maura-sullivan-americas-top-carpetbagger/). *InsideSources*. Retrieved 2025-05-28. 1. DiStaso, John (2018-06-07). ["NH Primary Source: Congressional candidate Sullivan to fundraise in Illinois"](https://www.wmur.com/article/nh-primary-source-congressional-candidate-sullivan-to-fundraise-in-illinois/21109195). *WMUR*. Retrieved 2025-05-28. 1. DiStaso, John (2018-05-24). ["NH Primary Source: Congressman Seth Moulton backs Maura Sullivan in NH's 1st Congressional District"](https://www.wmur.com/article/nh-primary-source-congressman-seth-moulton-backs-maura-sullivan-in-nhs-1st-congressional-district/20891421). WMUR. Retrieved 2018-08-25. 1. DiStaso, John (2018-08-02). ["NH Primary Source: Former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to campaign with Maura Sullivan"](https://www.wmur.com/article/nh-primary-source-former-hhs-secretary-kathleen-sebelius-to-campaign-with-maura-sullivan/22620158). WMUR. Retrieved 2018-08-25. 1. ["Maura Sullivan"](https://ballotpedia.org/Maura_Sullivan). *Ballotpedia*. Retrieved June 24, 2020. 1. ["Maura Sullivan raises $400k in her campaign's first week - Manchester Ink Link"](https://manchester.inklink.news/maura-sullivan-raises-400k-in-her-campaigns-first-week/). 2025-04-21. Retrieved 2025-05-28. 1. VoteVets (2025-04-14). ["VoteVets PAC Endorses Maura Sullivan for Congress"](https://votevets.org/press-releases/votevets-pac-endorses-maura-sullivan-for-congress). *VoteVets*. Retrieved 2025-05-28. 1. ["Endorsements - With Honor Fund II"](https://withhonorfundiii.org/endorsements/). *With Honor Fund III*. Retrieved 2025-05-28. 1. Sexton, Adam (2025-05-05). ["Democratic military veterans in Congress endorse Sullivan in 1st District"](https://www.wmur.com/article/democrat-veterans-congress-endorse-sullivan-5525/64675495). *WMUR*. Retrieved 2025-05-28. 1. Graham, Michael (2025-04-11). ["'Lifelong Carpetbagger' Sullivan Stumbles at Gate"](https://nhjournal.com/lifelong-carpetbagger-sullivan-stumbles-at-gate/). *NH Journal*. Retrieved 2025-05-28. 1. Schneider, Elena (February 19, 2026). ["Pro-Israel group wades into Democratic House primaries"](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/19/pro-israel-dmfi-endorsements-democrats-house-primaries-00787254). *Politico.com* ## External links - [Official website](https://maurafornh.com/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Maura Sullivan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maura_Sullivan) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maura_Sullivan?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.