Dem. Chris Pappas wins Senate seat in New Hampshire, becomes first openly gay male senator

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas defeated former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu in New Hampshire on Tuesday, keeping a critical open U.S. Senate seat under Democratic control.

The race to fill the seat being vacated by three-term Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen was one of a handful that could determine the balance of power in the Senate. Republicans were hoping to regain a foothold in a region long dominated by Democrats in Congress while Democrats sought to hold the seat as part of their effort to win control of the chamber.

While outsiders were on the ballot elsewhere, the race for the seat being vacated by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen featured two candidates who tried to tap into anti-establishment angst from the inside. Sununu railed against “career politicians” despite having spent three terms in the U.S. House and one in the Senate before being ousted by Shaheen in 2008. Pappas told voters “Our country is ready for change” while seeking to remain in Washington, where he has represented the state’s 1st Congressional District since 2019.

New Hampshire voters haven’t elected a Republican to Congress since 2010. They also have voted for Democrats for president since 2004, though Republicans have dominated at the state level in recent years. With the win, Pappas will become the first openly gay male U.S. senator.

‘Team New Hampshire vs. Team Trump’

Pappas, 46, grew up working in his family’s Manchester restaurant, which opened in 1917 and claims to have invented chicken tenders. After college, he served as a state lawmaker, county treasurer and state executive councilor before being elected to Congress. In September, he defeated a democratic socialist and other opponents by a wide margin to win the Democratic primary.

“This is a time for a new generation of leadership in the United States Senate who understands the problems New Hampshire is facing, who will stand up to the recklessness of this administration, lower costs and make life better for Granite Staters,” he said in a debate last week.

Pappas frequently sought to link Sununu to President Donald Trump, who endorsed Sununu despite Sununu once calling him a loser. He accused Sununu of having “a selective memory about what’s been going on over the last couple of years” and told him, “The guy who gave you his complete and total endorsement is wrecking New Hampshire’s Main Street economy.”

“This election is about Team New Hampshire versus Team Trump,” Pappas said. “This is not a moment to restore someone who was out of step with New Hampshire before and bring them back into power.”

Mike Bradley, 77, a licensed mental health counselor from Bow, described his vote for Pappas as “almost more anti- than pro-.”

“I’m so disgusted with what Republicans in general are doing with Trump at the helm, and pretty much no one’s standing up to him. The corruption, the homophobia, the transphobia, the endless war,” he said. “ I’m hoping that Democrats can grab a majority and counteract all this negative stuff.”

Only one Chris was on the ballot

Sununu easily defeated former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and a handful of lesser-known candidates to win the Republican nomination. His first name was conspicuously absent from his green, blue and white campaign signs, and critics said he was counting on voters confusing him with his popular younger brother, Chris Sununu, who served eight years as governor. Their father also is a former governor.

Once the Senate’s youngest member, Sununu is now 62, older than Shaheen was when he bragged in a campaign advertisement about being younger and faster than she was. He derided Pappas as an ineffective and out-of-touch “career politician” despite the fact that Sununu traveled a similar path from the House to the Senate and comes from a family whose name is synonymous with Republican politics in New Hampshire.

“Chris Pappas talks about all the things he wants to do and wants to accomplish, but he’s been there for eight years and he hasn’t gotten the job done,” Sununu said during the debate. “I’ll focus on the right issues. I’ll stand up to my party and the president when it’s right for New Hampshire, and I’ll get things done.”

Voters deluged by attack ads and mailers

Campaign cash poured in from all sides, though data compiled by AdImpact and OpenSecrets.org showed Republicans were spending considerably more as the race tightened.

Republicans accused Pappas of catering to Washington lobbyists and party bosses, describing the race as “problem solver Sununu” vs. “puppet Pappas.” “New Hampshire needs a leader, not a lightweight,” one ad from the National Republican Senatorial Committee concluded.

Pro-Pappas ads, meanwhile, accused Sununu of making millions off his political connections and highlighted the Sununu name appearing in the Epstein files. In a 2010 email, Jeffrey Epstein said Sununu “has good stories.” It’s unclear whether he meant the current candidate or his father, John H. Sununu, but Sununu says neither of them ever met or communicated with Epstein or the recipient of the email.