Maura Sullivan

This article is about government official. For the singer-songwriter, see Maura Sullivan (singer).

Maura Sullivan
Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs
In office
July 15, 2015 – November 2015
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byBrent Colburn
Succeeded byPeter Cook
Personal details
Born (1979-10-18) October 18, 1979
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationNorthwestern University (BA)
Harvard University (MBA, MPA)
WebsiteCampaign website
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Marine Corps
RankCaptain
Battles/warsIraq War
AwardsNavy Commendation Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal

Maura Sullivan (born October 18, 1979)[1] is an American politician and former government official. Sullivan previously served as an official in the Obama administration from 2014 to 2016 in both the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the United States Department of Defense. She also served on the American Battle Monuments Commission starting in 2010, and began her career as an officer in the United States Marine Corps serving in the Iraq War after the September 11 attacks.

Sullivan ran for Congress as a Democrat in New Hampshire's 1st congressional district, which includes Manchester, Portsmouth, and Lake Winnipesaukee. On September 11, 2018, she lost her primary race for the 1st congressional district to Chris Pappas. 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 on an ROTC scholarship.[3] Sullivan then served as a logistics officer in the U.S. Marine Corps,[4][5] reaching the rank of captain, and her deployments included time in Okinawa, Japan, and 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 and Harvard Business School.[3] She graduated in 2009 and worked at PepsiCo in management roles across New England.[7]

Government career

In 2010, Sullivan was named to the American Battle Monuments Commission.[8] On October 1, 2014, President Obama appointed Sullivan Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the Office of Public & Intergovernmental Affairs.[9] At the VA, Sullivan was the principal public affairs advisor to Secretary Robert A. McDonald.[10]

On June 22, 2015, Sullivan was named 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

On October 23, 2017, Sullivan announced that she would run for Congress in 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, Serve America, New Politics, WithHonor.org, and Vote Vets.[15][16][17]

Throughout the campaign, Sullivan was criticized as a "carpetbagger" due to her lack of history in New Hampshire.[18][19][20][21]

During her campaign, Sullivan was endorsed by Seth Moulton, a fellow Marine Corps veteran and U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.[22] She was also endorsed by 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.[24]

2026 congressional election

Main article: 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, following Pappas's decision to run for United States Senate.[2] Sullivan raised $400,000 in her campaign's first week.[25] She again received the endorsements of Vote Vets,[26] With Honor,[27] and Congressman Seth Moulton, as well as Pennsylvania Congressman Chris Deluzio, a Navy veteran.[28]

Shortly after her campaign was launched, Sullivan was criticized for Tweeting that she was a "lifelong Granite Stater," despite only moving to New Hampshire in 2017. She subsequently deleted the Tweet.[29]

References

  1. ^ Sexton, Adam (August 31, 2018). "Maura Sullivan, Democratic candidate for 1st CD seat". WMUR.
  2. ^ a b Sexton, Adam (April 10, 2025). "First on WMUR: Maura Sullivan launches 2026 campaign for New Hampshire 1st Congressional District". WMUR. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
  3. ^ a b "The Military and the MBA: Maura Corby Sullivan (MBA/MPA 2009)". Alumni - Harvard Business School. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  4. ^ "The new warrior elite - Maura Sullivan (5)". Fortune. Archived from the original on October 5, 2015.
  5. ^ "Maura Sullivan (George Fellow '09) Appointed Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at Department of Defense". cpl.hks.harvard.edu.
  6. ^ a b "Maura C. Sullivan". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  7. ^ "Maura Corby Sullivan - French-American Foundation". French-American Foundation. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  8. ^ "The Commission". American Battle Monuments Commission. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  9. ^ "President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. October 1, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  10. ^ "Maura Sullivan (George Fellow '09) Appointed Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at Department of Defense". cpl.hks.harvard.edu. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  11. ^ "Sullivan to Become DoD's Public Affairs Chief, Carter Says". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  12. ^ "DOD Appointments". InsideDefense.com. July 15, 2015.
  13. ^ Moon, Jason. "Maura Sullivan, Former Marine and VA Official, Announces Bid for Congress". Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  14. ^ "She moved to the state last year. Now she's running for Congress. Can she win in N.H.?". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  15. ^ "Maura Sullivan". EMILY's List. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  16. ^ "Maura Sullivan for Congress". VoteVets. Retrieved April 22, 2018.
  17. ^ DiStaso, John (July 9, 2018). "Democrat Maura Sullivan raises $604K for congressional campaign in 2nd quarter". WMUR. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  18. ^ Pindell, James (October 24, 2017). "N.H. congressional candidate announces bid with a logo that gets the state's shape wrong - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  19. ^ Sexton, Adam (March 2, 2018). "2 Democratic candidates in 1st District face carpetbagger charges". WMUR. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  20. ^ Graham, Michael (August 24, 2018). "Maura Sullivan, America's Top Carpetbagger?". InsideSources. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  21. ^ DiStaso, John (June 7, 2018). "NH Primary Source: Congressional candidate Sullivan to fundraise in Illinois". WMUR. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  22. ^ DiStaso, John (May 24, 2018). "NH Primary Source: Congressman Seth Moulton backs Maura Sullivan in NH's 1st Congressional District". WMUR. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  23. ^ DiStaso, John (August 2, 2018). "NH Primary Source: Former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to campaign with Maura Sullivan". WMUR. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  24. ^ "Maura Sullivan". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  25. ^ "Maura Sullivan raises $400k in her campaign's first week - Manchester Ink Link". April 21, 2025. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  26. ^ VoteVets (April 14, 2025). "VoteVets PAC Endorses Maura Sullivan for Congress". VoteVets. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  27. ^ "Endorsements - With Honor Fund II". With Honor Fund III. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  28. ^ Sexton, Adam (May 5, 2025). "Democratic military veterans in Congress endorse Sullivan in 1st District". WMUR. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  29. ^ Graham, Michael (April 11, 2025). "'Lifelong Carpetbagger' Sullivan Stumbles at Gate". NH Journal. Retrieved May 28, 2025.
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