Pappas Defeats Sununu in New Hampshire Senate Race
Chris Pappas, a four-term Democratic congressman, defeated former Republican senator John Sununu in New Hampshire’s closely watched race for the U.S. Senate. Sununu conceded after the contest, which had been seen as one of Republicans’ opportunities to flip a seat this election cycle. Pappas will succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, keeping the seat in his party’s hands.
The win also makes Pappas the first openly gay man elected to the Senate. He represented New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District from 2019 and built a reputation as a moderate who sometimes broke with Democrats in House votes. His campaign emphasized working across party lines and presented him as a check on President Donald Trump’s administration.
Sununu, who held New Hampshire’s Senate seat from 2003 to 2009, sought a return to the chamber after losing to Shaheen. Though Trump endorsed him, Sununu tried to establish distance from the president and pledged to oppose policies harmful to New Hampshire. Pappas argued that Sununu would support Trump’s agenda; Sununu, meanwhile, criticized Pappas as a career politician.
Sununu’s family name was well known in the state: his father and brother both served as governor. But the contest also unfolded against a difficult national environment for Republicans, including Trump’s low approval in New Hampshire. Pappas’s victory preserves a Democratic-held seat as the parties compete for control of the Senate.
Pappas Wins Senate Seat, Rejecting Trump-Backed Sununu
New Hampshire voters rejected a Trump-endorsed bid to return John Sununu to the Senate, electing Democrat Chris Pappas instead. The win keeps a critical open seat in Democratic hands and gives voters a senator who presented his candidacy as a check on President Donald Trump’s administration.
Pappas argued that Sununu, despite presenting himself as independent, would act as a rubber stamp for Trump. Sununu tried to distance himself from the president, but his endorsement and party affiliation left him tied to an administration unpopular in New Hampshire. Pappas also raised issues including the war in Iran and policies he criticized on the campaign trail.
The result carries historic significance: Pappas will be the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate. The four-term congressman has described himself as bipartisan and sometimes split with his party in House votes, while also supporting LGBTQ+ rights and earning strong ratings from abortion-rights and labor groups.
Sununu conceded after seeking a return to the seat he held from 2003 to 2009. Pappas will take over from retiring Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, preserving the party’s hold on a seat Republicans had hoped to flip as they pursued Senate control.
Pappas Wins as New Hampshire Keeps Senate Seat Democratic
John Sununu’s return to the Senate fell short in New Hampshire, where Democrat Chris Pappas won the open seat and kept it in Democratic hands. Republicans had recruited a familiar figure with statewide name recognition for a race that offered a chance to flip a seat, but Sununu could not overcome the contest’s political headwinds.
Sununu had served in the Senate from 2003 to 2009 and presented himself as an independent advocate for New Hampshire. Although Trump endorsed him, Sununu emphasized that he would oppose presidential policies that harmed the state and said he had never met Trump. Pappas nonetheless made Sununu’s connection to the president a central campaign argument.
The result sends Pappas, a four-term House member, to succeed retiring Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. Pappas has cultivated a pragmatic image and sometimes broken with his party in congressional votes, while Sununu attacked him as a longtime Washington politician who had not delivered enough for New Hampshire.
Pappas’s victory also makes him the first openly gay man elected to the Senate. Sununu conceded after a race in which both candidates presented their past congressional experience as preparation to address concerns including health care, affordability and Social Security.
Reported by Fox News, The 19th, Townhall, The Boston Globe, NBC News, New York Post, The Washington Examiner, The Guardian US, CBS News, WSVN 7News, WBUR, Boston.com, ABC News, CNN, BBC US & Canada, Breitbart, PBS NewsHour, The Hollywood Reporter.
