Congressman Chris Pappas (DN.H., Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate) and Dr. Karishma Manzoor (Democratic New Hampshire candidate for U.S. Senate).
Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call Inc. | Mel Musto | Bloomberg | Getty Images
New Hampshire voters head to the polls Tuesday to nominate a candidate to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in a key Senate race. Both Democrats and Republicans aim to gain control of the Senate and win seats in the next Congress.
Rep. Chris Pappas, who is leading the fundraising race and has represented the state’s 1st Congressional District since 2019, is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. He faces a challenge from Karishma Manzoor, a scientist and democratic socialist who is narrowly closing in on Pappas in recent opinion polls.
On the Republican side, former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu is the favorite to win the nomination over former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown. Although Mr. Shaheen defeated Mr. Sununu and Mr. Brown in different years, Mr. Sununu (whose brother Chris Sununu was a popular Granite State governor until 2025) is seen as a formidable candidate in what is shaping up to be a tough election cycle for Republicans as the Iran war drags on and President Donald Trump’s popularity wanes.
The New Hampshire Senate race is crucial for both parties heading into the November midterm elections. Democrats need to win four more seats to flip the Senate, so hopes of flipping the Senate will fade if the party fails to retain Shaheen’s seat. If Republicans flip seats, it would require Democrats to flip additional seats, giving Republicans a cushion to maintain their Senate majority.
Voters vote in the midterm election primary at Sanbornton City Hall on September 8, 2026 in Sanbornton, New Hampshire.
CJ Gunter | Getty Images
The midterm elections will determine who will control Congress and subpoena power during the final two years of President Trump’s term. If Democrats flip one or both chambers, they are widely expected to launch a sweeping investigation into the Trump administration, which is likely to involve companies that do business with the administration.
Mr. Pappas has the backing of Mr. Shaheen and other Democratic leaders, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and has made fighting corruption a top priority of his campaign. Mr. Pappas is primarily a moderate lawmaker and is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
Manzoor is running on a platform similar to other Democratic Socialist candidates who have made strides in Democratic primaries around the country, calling for universal health care and opposition to aid to Israel. She is a scientist by trade and holds a Ph.D. Fields of biochemistry and molecular biology.
Mr. Pappas has maintained a lead in the race, but a recent University of New Hampshire poll found that Mr. Manzoor has narrowed his lead, now trailing the front runner by 13 points.
John Sununu, former U.S. senator (R-New Hampshire), and Republican Senate candidate Scott Brown from New Hampshire.
William B. Plowman | NBC | Getty Images | Alexandra Michalska | Reuters
Sununu, on the other hand, has campaigned as a moderate Republican willing to work across the aisle. President Trump endorsed Sununu during the campaign, saying, “He will work tirelessly to advance an America First agenda.” But Sununu himself continues to keep Trump at arm’s length in advertising as the president’s confirmation is happening behind the scenes in the Granite State.
Mr. Brown, on the other hand, targets “DC special interests” in his advertising and positions himself as an independent. He lags far behind Sununu in opinion polls. Since leaving the Senate, Brown served as the U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa during President Trump’s first term.
