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 current 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 with minimal opposition. Tang Williams will face incumbent House Representative Maggie Goodlander, who is seeking a second term. In the Democratic primary for the 1st District, Stefany Shaheen defeated retired Marine Maura Sullivan in a competitive race.
Republican Kelly Ayotte won the gubernatorial primary, 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 elected Republicans for state government and Democrats for Congress, leading the GOP to view this race as an opportunity to strengthen its presence in New England.
Democrats aim to retain the Senate seat, requiring a net gain of four seats to regain control of the chamber currently held by Republicans. The second frontrunner in the Democratic primary, democratic socialist Karishma Manzur, 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. Sununu stated, "Chris Pappas has three main qualities: ineffective, partisan and out of touch with New Hampshire," during his victory speech. Pappas attempted to associate Sununu with the unpopular US President Donald Trump, who endorsed Sununu despite previous criticisms.
Pappas remarked, "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 1st District seat left open by Pappas. In the 2nd Congressional District, incumbent Goodlander defeated progressive challenger Paige Beauchemin, while Tang Williams won the Republican primary for the third time and will be the GOP nominee in the 2024 elections. DiLorenzo, a political newcomer, won his primary with Trump's endorsement.
Voters in Rhode Island will head to the polls tomorrow, with the gubernatorial race being closely watched. Governor Dan McKee faces low job approval ratings and dissatisfaction among voters, competing against challenger Helena Foulkes, who has led in polls by double digits for months. In the 2024 presidential election, Harris won Rhode Island by a margin of 13.7 percentage points.