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Chris Pappas halts Sununu comeback in New Hampshire, makes Senate history
Democrat Chris Pappas defeated Republican John Sununu in New Hampshire’s Senate race, winning the seat being vacated by Jeanne Shaheen. His victory makes Pappas the first openly gay man elected to the US Senate and extends Democrats’ recent success in federal contests in the state.
Pappas, 46, had been favoured, but closer polling prompted national Democrats to spend more on the race. Sununu, 62, previously held the seat after beating Shaheen in 2002, before she defeated him in their 2008 rematch. His campaign faced concerns over affordability, high fuel costs and President Trump’s low approval rating, while Pappas campaigned alongside prominent Democrats and Sununu emphasised meeting voters individually.
In short
- Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire’s Senate race.
- He becomes the first openly gay man elected to the Senate.
- John Sununu’s family name did not overcome national headwinds.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Pappas’s victory can be seen as voters choosing a candidate who offered continuity with recent Democratic success in New Hampshire and could make the Senate more representative as its first openly gay male member. His campaign’s support from prominent Democrats may also have helped mobilise voters concerned about affordability, fuel costs and the president’s standing.
The case against
Sununu’s return could have been defended as a chance to restore the experience of a former senator with a record of competing successfully in the state, including against Shaheen in 2002. His emphasis on meeting voters individually offered a case for judging him on his own record and local engagement, rather than on national party figures or the president’s approval.
Explained simply
New Hampshire is a small state in the north-east of the United States. It elects two senators to represent it in Washington; the Senate helps make federal laws and approve senior government appointments. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, is leaving one of the state’s seats after serving since 2009.
Chris Pappas is a Democratic member of the House of Representatives, the other chamber of Congress. John Sununu is a Republican who represented New Hampshire in the Senate from 2003 to 2009, losing to Shaheen in a rematch. Their contest brought two familiar state politicians back into competition for the same seat.
The race also drew attention to voters’ concerns about the cost of living and to President Donald Trump’s standing, factors that can affect contests even when they are not directly on the ballot. Pappas’s election is also notable because no openly gay man had previously been elected to the Senate.