# Democrat Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire Senate race, avoiding Republican flip

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/democrat-chris-pappas-wins-new-hampshire-senate-race-avoiding-republican-flip/
- Published: 2026-11-04T03:10:07+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/03/new-hampshire-senate-chris-pappas-john-sununu
- Topics: Americas, Elections, Government, Politics, Software, Technology, World

## Key points

- Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire’s Senate race.
- His victory keeps the seat Democratic.
- He will be the first openly gay US senator.

## Summary

Chris Pappas has won New Hampshire’s US Senate race, preventing Republicans from flipping the seat as they seek to retain their Senate majority. The four-term Democratic congressman said voters had called for a “course correction” and a new generation in Washington.

Pappas will succeed retiring three-term Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen, who defeated Republican John Sununu in 2008. Sununu, a former senator, was Pappas’s opponent in the race; Pappas will be the first openly gay man elected to the US Senate.

## Coverage

- [The Guardian: Democrat Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire Senate race, avoiding Republican flip](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/03/new-hampshire-senate-chris-pappas-john-sununu)
- [The Hollywood Reporter: Chris Pappas Becomes First Openly Gay Man Elected to Senate](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/politics-news/chris-pappas-first-openly-gay-man-us-senate-1236747281/)
- [Le Monde: Democrat Chris Pappas will become first openly gay male US senator](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/11/04/democrat-chris-pappas-will-become-first-openly-gay-male-us-senator_6771085_4.html)
- [PBS NewsHour: WATCH: Democrat Chris Pappas speaks after winning New Hampshire Senate seat](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-democrat-chris-pappas-speaks-after-winning-new-hampshire-senate-seat)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.