Democrat Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire Senate seat, keeping it in Democratic hands

Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas has won New Hampshire's Senate race, defeating former Republican Sen. John Sununu, according to projections from CBS News, NBC News and Decision Desk HQ ¹²⁴. The seat was open because Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is retiring after 18 years ⁴.

Pappas, 46, has represented New Hampshire in the House since 2019 and is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus ¹. He will be the first out gay man to serve in the Senate, according to The 19th and NBC News ²⁴. The 19th reports he is only the third out LGBTQ+ person elected to the Senate, after Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona ².

On tapeCBS News · Nov 4

▶2:33

Sununu, 62, is the son of former Gov. John H. Sununu and the brother of former Gov. Chris Sununu ¹. He served in the Senate from 2003 to 2009 and lost his seat to Shaheen in 2008 ¹⁴. Republicans saw the race as one of their few chances to pick up a Senate seat this cycle ¹.

Sununu worked to distance himself from President Donald Trump, who had endorsed him ²³. In a late campaign ad, he said, "The way Chris Pappas tells it, I'm President Trump's long-lost son. I've never even met the man." ¹ He also promised, "when the president's policies are bad for New Hampshire, I'll oppose them." ¹

From Channel GOPPappas: Everything with Trump is a shakedownChris Pappas · 176 plays · captioned, with the source named

Pappas campaigned as an independent voice ¹, and The Guardian reported that he portrayed Sununu as a faux moderate who would rubber-stamp the president's agenda ³. He outraised Sununu by more than $15 million, according to Open Secrets, which tracks money in politics ². He was endorsed by former Vice President Kamala Harris and by some Republicans, including Don Bolduc, the 2022 Republican Senate nominee in New Hampshire, and former GOP state Sen. Rick Russman ².

The 19th reported that Sununu did not mention Pappas' identity as a gay man on the campaign trail ². Both men campaigned on addressing health care, affordability and protecting Social Security ².

On tapeABC News · Nov 4

▶1:13

Democrats need to gain four seats to win a Senate majority ². Holding New Hampshire keeps one competitive seat in their column as they wait on results in other tight races ¹².

That matters because the Senate majority will decide whether Democrats can block or advance the president's agenda ¹². For New Hampshire voters, the result means the seat stays with a Democrat who ran as a check on the administration ³.

The Record

1. Nov 4, 2008John Sununu lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jeanne Shaheen ¹⁴.
2. Nov 3, 2026Chris Pappas defeated John Sununu in New Hampshire's Senate race, according to projections ¹²⁴.

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<h2>Democrat Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire Senate seat, keeping it in Democratic hands</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/democrat-chris-pappas-wins-new-hampshire-senate-seat-keeping-it-in-democratic-hands">The GOP Files</a> on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.</em></p> <p>Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas has won New Hampshire&#39;s Senate race, defeating former Republican Sen. John Sununu, according to projections from CBS News, NBC News and Decision Desk HQ . The seat was open because Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is retiring after 18 years .</p> <p>Pappas, 46, has represented New Hampshire in the House since 2019 and is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus . He will be the first out gay man to serve in the Senate, according to The 19th and NBC News . The 19th reports he is only the third out LGBTQ+ person elected to the Senate, after Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona .</p> <p>Sununu, 62, is the son of former Gov. John H. Sununu and the brother of former Gov. Chris Sununu . He served in the Senate from 2003 to 2009 and lost his seat to Shaheen in 2008 . Republicans saw the race as one of their few chances to pick up a Senate seat this cycle .</p> <p>Sununu worked to distance himself from President Donald Trump, who had endorsed him . In a late campaign ad, he said, &quot;The way Chris Pappas tells it, I&#39;m President Trump&#39;s long-lost son. I&#39;ve never even met the man.&quot; He also promised, &quot;when the president&#39;s policies are bad for New Hampshire, I&#39;ll oppose them.&quot;</p> <p>Pappas campaigned as an independent voice , and The Guardian reported that he portrayed Sununu as a faux moderate who would rubber-stamp the president&#39;s agenda . He outraised Sununu by more than $15 million, according to Open Secrets, which tracks money in politics . He was endorsed by former Vice President Kamala Harris and by some Republicans, including Don Bolduc, the 2022 Republican Senate nominee in New Hampshire, and former GOP state Sen. Rick Russman .</p> <p>The 19th reported that Sununu did not mention Pappas&#39; identity as a gay man on the campaign trail . Both men campaigned on addressing health care, affordability and protecting Social Security .</p> <p>Democrats need to gain four seats to win a Senate majority . Holding New Hampshire keeps one competitive seat in their column as they wait on results in other tight races .</p> <p>That matters because the Senate majority will decide whether Democrats can block or advance the president&#39;s agenda . For New Hampshire voters, the result means the seat stays with a Democrat who ran as a check on the administration .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/democrat-chris-pappas-wins-new-hampshire-senate-seat-keeping-it-in-democratic-hands">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/democrat-chris-pappas-wins-new-hampshire-senate-seat-keeping-it-in-democratic-hands.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. CBS News, “Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire 2026 Senate election” (2026-11-04). cbsnews.com/news/new-hampshire-2026-senate-pappas-sununu/
2. The 19th, “Chris Pappas will be the first out gay man in the U.S. Senate” (2026-11-04). 19thnews.org/2026/11/election-results-new-hampshire-senate/
3. The Guardian, “Democrat Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire Senate race, avoiding Republican flip” (2026-11-04). theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/03/new-hampshire-senate-chr
4. NBC News, “Democrat Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire’s Senate race” (2026-11-04). nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/chris-pappas-democrat-win

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