Who is Chris Pappas and what is Pappas running on in the 2026 New Hampshire Senate race?

Chris Pappas is the Democratic candidate for New Hampshire U.S. Senate. U.S. Representative for NH-1 since 2019; former Executive Councilor and Manchester restaurateur. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The race

• The seat: Open seat (Jeanne Shaheen retiring).
• Rating: Lean D (Cook, Sabato).
• Polling: Pappas 48, Sununu 41 (Saint Anselm, Aug 17 to 18, 2026); Sununu 45, Pappas 43 (UNH, Aug 20 to 24, 2026).

Why Pappas is ahead

• New Hampshire leans Democratic federally; Republicans haven’t won a Senate race there since 2010.
• Pappas holds a large money edge: $13.4M raised vs $3.7M for Sununu through June 30, 2026.
• Sununu, a former senator with a well-known family name, keeps polls close and pitches himself as independent of party leadership, but carries Trump’s endorsement in a state Trump lost.
• Markets price Pappas ~87% despite near-even polling (avg Pappas +1.8).

What Pappas is running on

• Cost of living. Centers his campaign on lowering costs with a ‘Tax Cuts and Lower Costs Blueprint’.
• Social Security/Medicaid. Pledges to protect Medicaid and Social Security.
• Veterans. Highlights work expanding healthcare benefits for 3.5 million veterans.
• Infrastructure. Introduced the Highway Fair Share Act to raise federal highway funds for NH.
• Trump. Casts Sununu as a vote for Trump’s agenda and runs on anti-corruption.
• Education. Supports public education.

In Pappas’s own words

“John Sununu is going to be another vote for an agenda that’s making lives bad for New Hampshire families.”

The other candidates

• John E. Sununu (R)

Every race

See every Senate and governor race on the ballot, with each candidate’s chance of winning: the 2026 midterms at a glance.