Democratic Representative Chris Pappas has defeated former Republican Senator John Sununu in the New Hampshire Senate race, according to a projection by CBS News, ensuring that Democrats retain control of the seat following the retirement of Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
Pappas, 46, has represented New Hampshire in the US House of Representatives since 2019 and is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. He campaigned on the promise of providing an independent voice for the state while facing a challenger with strong political connections and name recognition.
Sununu, 62, comes from one of New Hampshire’s prominent political families. He is the son of former Governor John H. Sununu and the brother of former Governor Chris Sununu.
The former senator sought a return to the upper chamber after previously serving in both the House of Representatives and the Senate for more than a decade. His last Senate campaign ended in defeat to Shaheen in 2008.
Republicans had viewed the contest as one of their strongest opportunities to gain a Senate seat during the election cycle, although the party has not won a Senate race in New Hampshire since 2010.
The state has also not supported a Republican presidential candidate since 2000, despite Republicans maintaining control of the governor’s office since 2017.
Sununu’s candidacy initially offered the party hope of breaking that trend, particularly as several Republican Senate candidates faced unexpectedly difficult contests amid public dissatisfaction over the war in Iran and rising petrol and diesel prices.
However, Sununu attempted to separate himself from President Donald Trump during the campaign, seeking to convince voters that he would make decisions based on New Hampshire’s interests rather than the president’s political positions.
In one of his late campaign advertisements, he said, “The way Chris Pappas tells it, I’m President Trump’s long-lost son. I’ve never even met the man.”
He also pledged to act independently, declaring that “when the president’s policies are bad for New Hampshire, I’ll oppose them.”
Despite those efforts, the Republican candidate was unable to overcome the difficult political environment facing his party.
Pappas’ projected victory allows Democrats to retain an important Senate seat while also securing victories in several other contests, helping the party establish a majority in the chamber.
