Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) announced on Thursday he will run for New Hampshire’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2026.

“I’m in. Today I’m announcing my campaign for U.S. Senate because New Hampshire needs a fighter who gets things done. Let’s do this,” Pappas said.

WATCH:

Per Roll Call:

Pappas is set to hold a campaign launch Thursday night at the Puritan Backroom, the Manchester restaurant owned by his family that’s been considered a regular spot for presidential candidates campaigning in the Granite State. He recently completed a tour of the state’s 10 counties, which included a town hall.

In a campaign launch video, Pappas lamented “special interests and big corporations that have outsize influence in our political system.” He referenced potential Medicaid cuts and a Social Security office in Littletown, N.H., that reportedly could close.

First elected to New Hampshire’s 1st District in 2018, Pappas is the state’s first openly gay member of Congress. He won a crowded Democratic primary that year before winning the general election for the swing seat by 9 points. He subsequently has won reelection three times, including a 2022 win over Republican Karoline Leavitt, now the White House press secretary.

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In 2022, he was one of two House Democrats to vote against a measure to legalize marijuana, calling the bill “deeply flawed,” although he said he supports decriminalizing the drug. Earlier this year, he was one of nearly four dozen House Democrats who voted for legislation, known as the Laken Riley Act, to impose stricter penalties on undocumented immigrants who commit crimes in the United States.

It’s believed the closely-watched New Hampshire U.S. Senate election will be a contest between Pappas and former Republican governor Chris Sununu.

A poll released last month showed Sununu winning a hypothetical contest between the two to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

New Hampshire Bulletin reports:

The congressman is the first to enter the race, and his announcement comes after Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced in March she was vacating the seat, which she’s held for nearly two decades. His campaign is beginning early in the cycle with Election Day still about 19 months away.

Pappas’ entrance to the race was widely anticipated by spectators, many of whom see him as a favorite to earn the Democratic nomination and possibly win a general election.

Pappas could face a competitive race in both the primary and general elections. New Hampshire’s other Democratic U.S. representative, Maggie Goodlander, who represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District, is also considering a run, her team previously told the Bulletin. On the Republican side, observers are waiting to see whether former Gov. Chris Sununu, who left office with high approval ratings but has been noncommittal about a Senate bid, will enter the race.

In a video announcing the campaign, Pappas touted his work in Congress over the past few years, attacked Republicans for attempting to give tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk, and emphasized his work at his family’s business. Notably absent in the video was any mention of President Donald Trump.

“What I hear from people?” he said. “They want someone who shows up, someone who listens, and someone who isn’t afraid to take on the big fights and more importantly today, who knows how to win them.”

 

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