Federal legislators in New Hampshire and Maine expressed cautious optimism about the death of former Libyan leader Moammar Qadaffi, who was killed in the country on Oct. 20.

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) said she is confident Qadaffi’s death will help lead the Libyan people to “a more peaceful future.” But she acknowledged there are serious challenges ahead for the nation, which had been under Qadaffi’s oppressive rule for more than 40 years.

“It will take time to recover from the brutal repression of his regime, but now the Libyan people have the opportunity to make a fresh start with a democratically elected government and a new constitution,” Pingree said in a press release.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said Qaddafi’s death marks a “welcome turning point,” saying he sponsored terrorist acts against Americans and Europeans and threatened to massacre his own people. She credited the Obama administration with working closely with NATO allies to remove Qaddafi from power.

But Shaheen, too, recognized the difficulty of establishing a peaceful and stable democracy in this war-torn region.

“We need to continue working with the transitional government in Libya to ensure that it protects the rights and security of all Libyan citizens,” she said in a release.

She also reiterated ongoing concerns about missing shoulder-fired missiles in Libya and urged leaders to find and secure them.