Republican John E. Sununu and Democrat Chris Pappas have won their primary elections in New Hampshire and will compete for a United States Senate seat that could influence the balance of power in November. Sununu, a former senator, and Pappas, a House representative, are vying to replace outgoing Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Both candidates were strong frontrunners in their respective races.
In the House Republican primaries, Anthony DiLorenzo won in the 1st Congressional District, while Lily Tang Williams won the 2nd District without significant opposition. Tang Williams will face House Representative Maggie Goodlander, who is seeking a second term. In the Democratic primary for the 1st District, Stefany Shaheen, daughter of Jeanne Shaheen, defeated retired Marine Maura Sullivan in a closely contested race.
Republican Kelly Ayotte won the state gubernatorial race decisively, defeating two lesser-known challengers. Ayotte, a former US senator and state attorney general, is seeking a second two-year term against Cinde Warmington, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
In the 2024 presidential election, former Vice President Kamala Harris won New Hampshire by a margin of 2.78 percentage points over President Donald Trump. Historically, New Hampshire has leaned Republican for state government positions while favoring Democrats in congressional elections. The GOP views this Senate race as a chance to establish a stronger presence in New England.
Democrats aim to retain the Senate seat, needing a net gain of four seats to regain control from Republicans. In the Democratic primary, Karishma Manzur, a democratic socialist, was unable to defeat Pappas despite narrowing the gap in recent weeks. Manzur criticized Pappas for his ties to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Sununu defeated seven opponents, including former Massachusetts state senator Scott Brown. At a victory party, Sununu remarked, "Chris Pappas has three main qualities: ineffective, partisan and out of touch with New Hampshire." Pappas attempted to connect Sununu to the unpopular President Trump, who endorsed Sununu despite previous criticisms from him.
Pappas responded, stating, "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."
Stefany Shaheen will compete for the seat left open by Pappas in the 1st District. In the 2nd Congressional District, incumbent Goodlander defeated progressive challenger Paige Beauchemin, while Tang Williams won the Republican primary after two previous attempts.
Political newcomer DiLorenzo won the 1st District primary with an endorsement from Trump. Voters in Rhode Island are set to head to the polls tomorrow, with the gubernatorial race being closely watched. Governor Dan McKee faces dissatisfaction and low approval ratings against challenger Helena Foulkes, who has consistently led in polls by double digits.
Harris won Rhode Island in the 2024 presidential election with a lead of 13.7 percentage points.