Republican John E. Sununu and Democrat Chris Pappas will face off for New Hampshire’s open U.S. Senate seat following Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s decision not to seek reelection, according to the Associated Press. AP reported the contest is one of a small number nationwide that could influence which party controls the Senate in November, and that the nominees now have eight weeks to make their case to general-election voters.
Eight-week sprint and early lines of attack
Pappas, who is giving up his 1st Congressional District seat after four terms, quickly tied Sununu to former President Donald Trump. Speaking to supporters at his family’s restaurant in Manchester, he said, “While New Hampshire families are struggling to make ends meet, John Sununu has thrown his lot in with Donald Trump and supports the policies that cater to big corporations and billionaires while they make life harder for Granite Staters,” the AP reported. His campaign also posted a negative ad on social media calling Sununu “a sequel we can’t afford,” according to AP. Pappas added, “We’ve got to turn the page on Donald Trump’s reckless leadership, on corruption, on the rigged economy and on costs, and this is not the time to turn it back to a failed politician from the past.”
At a victory event at a Manchester ski area, Sununu called Pappas “a career politician” and argued, “He’s not an independent voice for New Hampshire.” Sununu added, “Chris Pappas has three main qualities: ineffective, partisan and out of touch with New Hampshire,” AP reported. AP also noted Trump endorsed Sununu even though Sununu called Trump “a loser” during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Primary results that set the ballot
Sununu won the Republican primary over seven rivals, including former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who accused Sununu of coasting on his name, according to AP. One voter quoted by AP, Jim Loomis, 83, of Bow, said he backed Brown in 2014 but voted for Sununu this time, adding of Brown that “he never got traction back again,” and of Sununu, “I think what he’s done for work over the years has kept him close enough to what’s going on, and then with his family ties, I just think he’s got a more stable base.”
Pappas defeated four Democratic rivals, including Karishma Manzur, whom AP described as a democratic socialist.
1st District: Stefany Shaheen vs. Anthony DiLorenzo
In the race to fill Pappas’ open 1st District seat, AP reported that Stefany Shaheen, daughter of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, won a close Democratic primary and will face Republican Anthony DiLorenzo, a car-dealership owner endorsed by Trump. Before her race was called, Shaheen told supporters she would “take on Donald Trump and his disastrous corruption, his endless war, his attacks on small business with these disastrous tariffs, the skyrocketing costs families are facing in New Hampshire and across the country.” She added, “We can bring the real change that’s needed, starting with healthcare, starting with Medicare for all.”
Maura Sullivan, a retired Marine and former VA official who ran again after a 2018 bid, addressed supporters earlier in the evening and said, “What we are doing right now is send such an incredible message for change, and that politics as usual is not, is not going to get us where we need to go,” AP reported. On the GOP side, DiLorenzo told supporters, “Our campaign is about prosperity,” and, “I believe that Washington, D.C., needs more pragmatic businesspeople,” according to AP.
2nd District and state races
In the 2nd District, first-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander overcame a primary challenge from Paige Beauchemin, a progressive state lawmaker and nurse, AP reported. Lily Tang Williams, the GOP nominee two years ago and making a third attempt, won the Republican primary.
AP also reported that Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte defeated two little-known opponents in the GOP primary as she seeks a second two-year term. Cinde Warmington, a healthcare attorney, was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Voters nominated candidates for the entire state Legislature, where Republicans currently hold a majority in the 400-member House and a 16–8 edge in the state Senate, according to AP. New legislation will shift future state primaries to the second Tuesday in June, AP added.
Why this race matters
AP reported that Republicans view the open seat as a chance to regain ground in a region long dominated by Democrats in Congress. Democrats, AP noted, need a net gain of four seats to retake the Senate, making New Hampshire a key defensive contest for them.
