In the small but consequential state of New Hampshire, two political veterans have emerged from their primaries to contest an open Senate seat that may help decide the balance of power in Washington. Democrat Chris Pappas and Republican John Sununu — each carrying the weight of legacy, endorsement, and contested identity — will face one another in November on ground that has long resisted easy categorization. The race distills a broader national question: whether voters in a genuinely competitive state will weigh a candidate's family name and presidential ties more heavily than his record, or
Pappas, Sununu set for competitive New Hampshire Senate showdown
New Hampshire families struggle while Sununu throws in with Trump
Mark
So we have two primaries won on the same night, and suddenly this race matters for Senate control. What makes New Hampshire so pivotal here?
Mimi
Democrats need to flip four Republican seats to take the Senate. New Hampshire is one of the few places where that's actually possible—it's a state that's been trending Democratic in federal races but stays competitive.
Luke
Right, but let's be precise about what "competitive" means. Trump lost by less than a point in 2016. Hassan won by a thousand votes. These are genuinely close races, not lean-Democratic.
Mark
And Pappas is the Democrat here. What's his actual record?
Mimi
He's been in the House since 2019, joined the Problem Solvers Caucus—that's the bipartisan group. Shaheen endorsed him, which matters because she's the one leaving the seat open.
Luke
But Sununu has something Pappas doesn't: a family name that's been in New Hampshire politics for decades. His father was governor, his brother was governor. That's real structural advantage.
Mark
So Pappas is trying to make this about Trump.
Mimi
Exactly. He's calling Sununu Trump's "handpicked candidate" because Trump endorsed him in the primary. He's saying Sununu has thrown in with Trump while families struggle.
Luke
Though Sununu has actually criticized Trump and broken with him on trade issues. The endorsement doesn't necessarily mean lockstep alignment.
Mark
What's Sununu's counter?
Mimi
He's calling Pappas a career politician—ineffective, partisan, out of touch. He wants the race to be about economic issues and cost of living.
Luke
Both candidates are trying to own "independent" or "effective," which tells you something about what New Hampshire voters care about. But we don't know yet if Trump's endorsement helps or hurts Sununu in a general election in this state.
Mark
When does the real race begin?
Mimi
Now. November is the general election, and both sides will spend the next two months testing which message sticks.
El Pulso
- Democrats must flip four Senate seats to reclaim the chamber, making this open New Hampshire seat a high-stakes prize neither party can afford to lose.
- Pappas is pressing hard on Sununu's Trump endorsement, framing it as disqualifying in a state that has trended away from the president — but Sununu's own history of criticizing Trump complicates that attack.
- Sununu is countering by painting Pappas as a career politician whose years in Congress produced little, betting that economic frustration will matter more to voters than partisan loyalty.
- New Hampshire's electoral map offers no safe harbor for either side — Republicans haven't won a Senate seat here since 2010, yet statewide races are routinely decided by fewer than a thousand votes.
- Both candidates are racing to claim the mantle of independence in a state where that word has long been the price of admission for serious contenders.
In the small but consequential state of New Hampshire, two political veterans have emerged from their primaries to contest an open Senate seat that may help decide the balance of power in Washington. Democrat Chris Pappas and Republican John Sununu — each carrying the weight of legacy, endorsement, and contested identity — will face one another in November on ground that has long resisted easy categorization. The race distills a broader national question: whether voters in a genuinely competitive state will weigh a candidate's family name and presidential ties more heavily than his record, or whether the margin, as so often in New Hampshire, will come down to something quieter and harder to name.
New Hampshire's primary season closed Tuesday with a November matchup now set: Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas will face former Republican Sen. John Sununu for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. The contest carries weight well beyond the Granite State — Democrats need to flip four seats to retake the Senate, and this race has quickly emerged as one of the most competitive on the map.
Pappas, 46, has represented New Hampshire in the House since 2019 and built a reputation as a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. Shaheen endorsed him as her successor. Sununu, 61, is the son and brother of former governors and a figure with deep roots in the state's political establishment, though he lost his Senate seat to Shaheen years ago and has since been a periodic critic of Donald Trump — even as he accepted Trump's endorsement in the primary.
The state's history makes confident predictions difficult. No Republican has won a Senate seat here since 2010, and New Hampshire hasn't backed a Republican presidential candidate since 2000. Yet the margins are almost always narrow: Trump lost the state by less than three points in 2024, and Sen. Maggie Hassan defeated Kelly Ayotte — now the state's governor — by roughly a thousand votes a decade ago.
The general election argument is already taking shape. Pappas is casting Sununu as Trump's handpicked candidate, while Sununu is calling Pappas ineffective and out of touch. Both will compete for the persuadable voters who have long made New Hampshire one of the few states where the outcome is genuinely unknown until the last votes are counted.
Two candidates emerged from New Hampshire's primary contests on Tuesday night, setting up a November showdown that could help determine which party controls the Senate. Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas defeated progressive medical scientist Karishma Manzur in his primary, while former GOP Sen. John Sununu dispatched ex-Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown in the Republican contest. The race for the open seat left vacant by retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen has already taken on outsized importance: with Republicans holding 53 Senate seats, Democrats need to flip four seats to gain control of the chamber while defending vulnerable seats of their own.
Pappas, 46, has served in the House since 2019 and counts himself a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. Shaheen, the departing incumbent, endorsed him as her successor. On the campaign trail, Pappas has cast himself as an independent voice for New Hampshire, a positioning that will be tested against an opponent with deep roots in the state's political establishment. Sununu, 61, is the son of former Gov. John H. Sununu and brother of former Gov. Chris Sununu—a family name that carries considerable weight in the Granite State. He served in both the House and Senate for more than a decade before losing his seat to Shaheen.
The state's recent electoral history suggests the race will be tightly contested. No Republican has won a Senate seat in New Hampshire since 2010, and the state hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 2000. Yet statewide elections here are routinely decided by razor-thin margins. President Trump lost New Hampshire by 2.8 points in 2024 and by just 0.4 points in 2016. A decade ago, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan defeated Republican Kelly Ayotte—now the state's governor—by roughly 1,000 votes. Republicans have held the governor's mansion since 2017, a sign that the state remains genuinely competitive territory.
Pappas has already begun framing the general election as a choice between an independent voice and a Trump-aligned candidate. In his primary victory speech Tuesday, he attacked Sununu as the president's "handpicked candidate," telling supporters that while New Hampshire families struggle with the cost of living, Sununu has aligned himself with Trump. Trump did endorse Sununu in the Republican primary. Sununu, however, has a complicated relationship with the president. He has been a vocal Trump critic in the past and has broken with the administration on specific issues, including its trade war with Canada, even after securing the endorsement.
Sununu's counter-argument centers on Pappas's record in Congress. In his own victory speech, Sununu characterized his opponent as a "career politician" and questioned his independence, saying Pappas is "ineffective, partisan, and out of touch with New Hampshire." Sununu has sought to steer the campaign toward economic and cost-of-living issues—terrain where both candidates will likely compete for persuadable voters in a state where elections are won and lost in the margins. The November race will test whether Pappas can make Trump's endorsement of Sununu a decisive liability, or whether Sununu can convince voters that his opponent's House record represents the real problem.
Citas Notables
While New Hampshire families are struggling to make ends meet, John Sununu has thrown his lot in with Donald Trump.— Chris Pappas, in primary victory speech
He's not an independent voice for New Hampshire. Chris Pappas has three main qualities: ineffective, partisan, and out of touch with New Hampshire.— John Sununu, in primary victory speech
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