Democratic New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas announced Thursday that he is launching a bid in New Hampshire’s 2026 Senate race.
Pappas claimed in a video statement announcing his candidacy that New Hampshire “needs a fighter who gets things done.” The Democratic congressman’s announcement comes after Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced in March that she would not seek reelection.
“Granite Staters know my record of taking on the big fights and looking out for them – pushing tax cuts for working families and small businesses, taking on predatory companies and corporate polluters, and standing up to Big Pharma to lower drug costs,” he said in the video statement. “Like Senator Shaheen, I’ll always put New Hampshire first.”
The Democratic Party is grappling with a slate of retirements ahead of the 2026 midterms, including Democratic Michigan Sen. Gary Peters and Democratic Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith.
“Our economy, democracy, and way of life are on the line,” Pappas wrote Thursday in a post on X. “You can count on me to lead the charge to confront Donald Trump, his administration, and the self-dealing billionaires who are threatening our future. We can’t back down.”
The race for New Hampshire’s Senate seat is projected to be highly competitive. Other likely contenders in the crucial Senate race include first-term Democratic New Hampshire Rep. Maggie Goodlander, and former Democratic New Hampshire Rep. Annie Kuster, who had said she would consider a bid if Pappas did not run. Meanwhile, on the GOP side, former Republican Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown and former Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu are considering running in the Senate race.
“Chris Pappas supports biological males competing in women’s sports, wants to ban gas-powered vehicles, and voted to raise taxes on hard-working Granite Staters,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia told the NH Journal on Thursday. “Pappas is extremely out of touch, and New Hampshire families deserve better.”
In 2023, Pappas voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, a bill which prohibits school athletic programs from allowing individuals whose biological sex at birth was male to participate in programs that are for women or girls.
“Banning trans women and girls from participating in sports and allowing schools to directly discriminate against students on the basis of their gender identity would do lasting harm not just to them, but our communities as a whole,” Pappas said in an April 2023 statement shortly after the bill passed in the House. “I strongly oppose this legislation, which is the latest in a series of bigoted, harmful attacks on the transgender community. All students deserve the opportunity to participate fully at school, including in school sports, and I remain committed to ensuring every student has a safe, inclusive school environment.”
Pappas is notably the first openly gay man to represent New Hampshire in Congress. He has championed a variety of left-wing initiatives during his time in office, including expanding Medicaid coverage, promoting LGBTQ equality, investing in clean energy projects, and protecting funding for Planned Parenthood.
Notably, the Democratic Party has been facing major hurdles since its brutal losses in the 2024 election cycle, including lacking a coherent message to connect with voters. A slate of recent polls have shown the party is dealing with record-low approval ratings among voters.
While President Donald Trump swept all seven swing states in the 2024 presidential election, former Vice President Kamala Harris won New Hampshire by 50.9% of the vote while Trump notched 48.1%. This marked the closest margin of victory for a state won by the Democratic nominee in that election.
Pappas’ campaign could not immediately be reached for comment.
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