KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – District 10 State Senator Donovan Fenton has thrown his support behind a candidate for New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District.

Fenton endorsed Democrat Colin Van Ostern for the seat that is being vacated by Congresswoman Annie Kuster, who announced back in March of this year that she would not be running for a 7th term in Congress.

In a statement from Van Ostern’s office Monday morning, Fenton, who represents much of the Monadnock Region in the New Hampshire Senate, expressed his enthusiasm for Van Ostern’s candidacy.

“Colin knows our communities, our people, and the issues that matter most to us here in the Monadnock region that I represent, and I know Colin will be a tremendous voice for us in Congress,” Fenton said. “It was Colin’s work in 2013 that got the new Hinsdale bridge construction back on track … and it was Colin and other state leaders who stood up for us when the Planned Parenthood health center in Keene was defunded, and got funding restored.”

Van Ostern previously served as Executive Councilor for District two in New Hampshire, which also covers most of the Monadnock Region. He expressed his gratitude for Fenton’s endorsement.

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of State Senator Donovan Fenton. Donovan is a tireless leader for all New Hampshire and he and I have a shared commitment to putting Granite Staters first,” Van Ostern said. “I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and work with Donovan and other state leaders to be a voice for all communities of the Second District of New Hampshire as we fight to make government work for regular people and families again.”

Last month Van Ostern joined WKBK’s Open Mic program to discuss his candidacy. You can hear the full conversation here.

Van Ostern was also the Democratic nominee for Governor in 2016 and was a candidate for a two-year term as New Hampshire’s Secretary of State in 2018. He lost both of those races to the incumbents, Governor Chris Sununu and Bill Gardener. He also previously served as campaign manager for Kuster.