Olympic figure skating champion Sarah Hughes files to run for Congress

Sarah Hughes, a former Olympic figure skating champion, has filed to run for Congress in her home state of New York. 

A campaign spokesperson confirmed to The Hill on Wednesday that Hughes plans to run in her Long Island district as a Democrat.

“Born and raised on Long Island, Sarah is concerned about where we’re headed, whether it’s rising prices, public safety and gun violence, or threats to women’s health,” Hughes spokesperson Max Kramer said in a statement to The Hill. He also said Hughes plans to put the “pieces into place to make an announcement in the next few weeks.” 

Hughes, 38, plans to run in New York’s fourth district for a seat held by freshman Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.) D’Esposito flipped the seat to Republicans last year after former Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) declined to run for another term.

The Cook Political Report lists the district as a GOP toss-up. It’s one of several GOP-held seats in New York that Democrats will look to win back in 2024 as they seek to retake control of the House.

In a short statement on her campaign website, Hughes said she wanted to tackle inflation, public safety and gun violence. 

“I’ve always been hopeful about our future; about our ability to come together and achieve great things in the face of difficulty and adversity. Long Island can be a great place to live and raise a family,” Hughes said in her statement. “All it takes is us coming together and doing things differently and I’m here to be part of the solution.” 

Hughes won the gold medal in figure skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

According to her LinkedIn page, Hughes attended Yale University and received her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and she spent the past 3 1/2 years as a corporate associate for Proskauer Rose LLP, a Manhattan-based law firm. 

Hughes is back at school as a graduate student at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.