Sarah Hughes, Olympic gold medalist, now running for Congress

By Shawna Mizelle, CNN

Washington (CNN) — Sarah Hughes, who won an Olympic gold medal for figure skating in the 2002 Winter Olympics, is now leaping into the political world as she starts a bid for Congress.

Hughes, who was a high school student in Long Island at the time of her Salt Lake City Olympic win, is running as a Democrat to represent New York’s 4th Congressional District, which is currently held by Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito. She officially filed to run on Monday.

D’Esposito won by a slim margin last fall in a district that President Joe Biden carried in 2020.

“Long Island can be a great place to live and raise a family. We can tackle the rising cost of living. We can restore the SALT deduction so families don’t have to forego their kids’ education to meet their financial obligations. We can get assault weapons off our streets and keep our communities safe,” a campaign donation website for Hughes reads.

Hughes graduated from Yale University in 2009.

CNN has reached out to Hughes’ campaign team for comment.

The news of her campaign comes amid a heightened attention surrounding New York politics as Democrats attempt to recoup from a disappointing performance in the last election and Republicans in the state navigate the legal woes of freshman Rep. George Santos.

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