Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) announced his run for retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen‘s (D-NH) seat to represent the Granite State in the Senate, leaving the door open for fierce competition for his House seat.
Shaheen announced her retirement last month, triggering immediate speculation about who would run to replace the longtime senator. Pappas, who has represented New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District since his election in 2018, is the first major candidate to announce his bid for the Senate seat.
“I’m running for Senate because our economy, our democracy, and our way of life are on the line, and New Hampshire deserves a senator who is grounded in the people, places, and values of this state,” Pappas said in a statement. “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.”
In his announcement, Pappas also mentioned Shaheen, who was first elected to represent New Hampshire in the Senate in 2008, and argued he would make the state his top priority.
“Like Sen. Shaheen, I’ll always put New Hampshire first. You can count on me to lead the charge to confront this administration, self-dealing billionaires, and extreme politicians who threaten our future and our ability to get things done for New Hampshire,” he continued.
No Republicans have announced runs for the Senate seat, but former Gov. Chris Sununu and former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown are reportedly not ruling out bids to flip the seat. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) teased the Senate GOP’s campaign wing had an interest in the open seat upon Shaheen’s retirement.
“Another one! Shaheen’s retirement is welcome news for Granite Staters eager for new leadership. New Hampshire has a proud tradition of electing common-sense Republicans — and will do so again in 2026!” Scott said after Shaheen’s announcement.
New Hampshire is one of the Senate seats Democrats are seeking to defend, alongside seats in Michigan and Georgia that Republicans are hoping to flip.
In the House, Pappas’s seat is a target for the National Republican Congressional Committee, and his retirement could make the race vulnerable for Democrats.
REPUBLICANS LOOK TO REBRAND DEMOCRAT CHRIS PAPPAS AHEAD OF NH SENATE RUN
“The writing is on the wall for House Democrats, and their vulnerable members are racing for the exits. Republicans are ready to seize on their dysfunction. We look forward to flipping this open seat red,” NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said in a statement Thursday.
New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District has a partisan voting index of Democrat +2. In the 2024 election, the district voted for then-Vice President Kamala Harris over President Donald Trump, 51%-49%.