Politics

Democrat Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire Senate race over John Sununu

Pappas succeeds retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and would be the first openly gay man in the Senate.

Published Nov 4, 2026 · 03:48 UTC3 reports

The short version

Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas defeated former Republican Sen. John Sununu in New Hampshire's Senate race, according to a CBS News projection.[CBS News]
The result keeps the seat in Democratic hands after Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's retirement, though Republicans had viewed it as one of few pickup chances this cycle.[CBS News]
Pappas would become the first openly gay male senator, and he campaigned by linking Sununu to Trump's unpopular administration.[The Guardian · The Washington Sun]

Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas defeated former Republican Sen. John Sununu in the New Hampshire Senate race.[CBS News · The Guardian]
The seat became open following Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's retirement.[CBS News · The Washington Sun]
Republicans had seen the seat as one of few pickup chances this cycle, although New Hampshire has not elected a Republican senator since 2010.[CBS News]
Trump endorsed Sununu in the primary despite Sununu having once called him a loser.[The Guardian · The Washington Sun]
Late in the campaign, Sununu released an ad saying he had never met Trump and would oppose policies harmful to New Hampshire.[CBS News]
Pappas linked Sununu to Trump and criticized administration policies, including the war against Iran.[The Guardian]
Pappas would become the first openly gay man to serve in the U.S. Senate.[The Guardian · The Washington Sun]

The result is reported as a CBS News projection, and the provided reporting does not include an official certified tally.[CBS News]
The reporting does not establish how Trump's role or the administration's agenda will shape Pappas's Senate tenure or the chamber's balance of power.[The Washington Sun]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.