Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire 2026 Senate election

Washington — Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas defeated erstwhile GOP Sen. John Sununu successful the New Hampshire Senate race, CBS News projects, keeping the spot successful Democratic power aft Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's retirement. 

Pappas, 46, has represented New Hampshire successful the House since 2019, wherever he's a subordinate of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. He campaigned arsenic an autarkic dependable for New Hampshire, taking connected a formidable hostile successful Sununu, whose household has wide sanction designation successful the state.

Sununu, 62, is the lad of erstwhile Gov. John H. Sununu and member of erstwhile Gov. Chris Sununu, and his sanction carries important value successful New Hampshire. He sought a comeback bid to the precocious enclosure — aft representing New Hampshire successful the House and Senate for much than a decade, helium was defeated by Shaheen successful 2008.

With Sununu, Republicans saw 1 of fewer opportunities for a pickup this cycle, looking to flip the spot though New Hampshire hasn't elected a Republican to the Senate since 2010. And though a Republican besides hasn't won successful the authorities astatine the statesmanlike level since 2000, Republicans person controlled the governor's mansion since 2017. 

As a fig of GOP Senate candidates person faced amazingly competitory races this cycle, amid the unpopular warfare successful Iran and precocious state and diesel prices, Republicans were much hopeful astir Sununu, who has sought to region himself from President Trump. 

Late successful the campaign, helium released a spot saying, ""The mode Chris Pappas tells it, I'm President Trump's long-lost son. I've ne'er adjacent met the man." He promised to beryllium independent, declaring that "when the president's policies are atrocious for New Hampshire, I'll reason them."

But Sununu's efforts to region himself from the president weren't capable to flooded beardown headwinds for Republicans.

With Pappas' projected victory, Democrats clasp connected to a cardinal spot arsenic they oculus imaginable flips successful respective races that could extremity the scales successful their favour and present a Democratic majority.