Chris Pappas defeats John Sununu to retain New Hampshire Senate seat for Democrats

Democratic Representative Chris Pappas secured the New Hampshire Senate seat, defeating former Republican Senator John Sununu, according to CBS News projections. The win maintains Democratic control of the seat vacated by retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

Pappas, 46, has served in the U.S. House since 2019 and is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. He positioned his campaign as an independent voice for New Hampshire, challenging Sununu, whose family name is well known in the state.

Sununu, 62, is the son of former Governor John H. Sununu and brother of former Governor Chris Sununu. He previously served in both the House and Senate before losing to Shaheen in 2008 and sought a return to the upper chamber.

Republicans viewed Sununu’s candidacy as one of the few potential pickups this cycle, despite New Hampshire not having elected a Republican senator since 2010. The campaign highlighted Sununu’s attempts to distance himself from President Trump, including a late-stage advertisement stating, "when the president's policies are bad for New Hampshire, I'll oppose them."

"The way Chris Pappas tells it, I'm President Trump's long-lost son. I've never even met the man," the ad said.

Pappas’ projected victory preserves a key Democratic seat as the party looks to gain additional seats that could affect control of the Senate.