Eye on 2010

Kuster is a longtime Democratic activist who came from a political family. Her late mother, Susan McLane, served as a Republican state Senator who lost a 1980 House bid to Republican Judd Gregg.

Hodes hopes to succeed Gregg, who currently serves as a U.S. Senator but is retiring in 2010. Kuster's late father, Malcolm McLane, served as the mayor of Concord and ran for governor.

Kuster was one of many prospective candidates who had participated in local Democratic forums held to introduce voters to the potential candidate field. State Rep. John DeJoie, a firefighter, has been operating an exploratory campaign for the race, Democrat Katrina Swett, a business consultant who ran for the district seat in 2002 and ran for U.S. Senate last cycle, but deferred to Jeanne Shaheen, is considering a bid, and Democrat Mark Fernald, a former state senator who unsuccessfully ran for governor, is exploring a run.

Additional Democrats floated as potential candidates include state Sen. Sylvia Larsen and Executive Councillor Debora Pignatelli.

Republicans are expected to strongly contest the seat, but must also focus their efforts on retaining Gregg's U.S. Senate seat and challenging 1st District Rep. Carol Shea-Porter., whose district is more competitive for Republicans than the 2nd.

Former Rep. Charles Bass, who is also regarded as a potential U.S. Senate candidate, is mulling a bid for the 2nd District. Others mulling a race are conservative radio talk show host Jennifer Horn, the 2008 GOP nominee for the 2nd District, as well as Bob Clegg, a former state Senator, who lost to Horn in 2008 in a GOP primary.

Hodes won a second term last fall with 56 percent over 41 percent for Horn. In the presidential race, Barack Obama carried the district 56 percent to 43 percent for Republican Sen. John McCain.