Political Establishment Prevails in New Hampshire Primary Elections

The Senate primary elections in New Hampshire have seen the political establishment emerge victorious.

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) secured the Democratic nomination to follow three-term Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, while former Sen. John Sununu won the Republican nomination. This sets the stage for a crucial open-seat general election that both parties are keen on winning.

Pappas, favored by the establishment, garnered nearly 65% of the vote against socialist candidate Karishma Manzur, who received about 33%, with other Democratic candidates David Jarvis, Maxwell Saal, and John Vail spliting the remainder of the votes. An early count showed that around 88% of the expected vote had been tallied.

Sununu faced a challenge from former Massachusetts senator Scott Brown, but ultimately triumphed with about 68.5% of the votes compared to Brown’s 26.7%. Other Republican contenders lagged far in single digits.

Notably, New Hampshire hasn’t elected a Republican senator since 2010, yet recent polling from the University of New Hampshire indicates that Sununu may have a slight edge over Pappas, leading 45% to 43%.

Pappas, recognizing the competitive nature of the race, stated, “We’re taking nothing for granted; this is a purple state. We’ve got a path to victory, but it’s going to be tough.”

The political landscape has shifted since 2020, when former Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly won the state, taking just a three-point margin across all counties.

Pappas, who has been a representative for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District since 2019, also ran a notable primary campaign, raising over $15 million, compared to only about $415,000 from Manzur. Manzur challenged Pappas from his left, accusing him of being a corporate figure and a pro-Israel supporter.

“Chris Pappas’ hypocrisy is evident,” a spokesperson for Manzur’s campaign remarked, criticizing his stance on campaign financing and foreign policy.

On the Republican side, Sununu has a long political history, having served in the House from 1997 to 2003 and then in the Senate from 2003 to 2009. He emphasized his loyalty to New Hampshire, stating, “I’m New Hampshire. I’ll have one job: standing up for New Hampshire every single day.”

Interestingly, Sununu received Trump’s endorsement, despite previously publishing an op-ed criticizing him as part of Nikki Haley’s 2024 campaign. He later clarified that the publication’s headline wasn’t his choice.

Heading into the primary election, one poll showed Sununu dominating against Brown, with a significant lead of 60% to 20%.