Corporate-Backed Sununu and Progressive Challenger Pappas Win New Hampshire Senate Primaries, Setting Up Battle for Working Families
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Republican John Sununu, a former senator with deep ties to corporate interests, and Democratic Representative Chris Pappas, who defeated a Democratic Socialist challenger, secured their parties' nominations for the New Hampshire Senate race, which will be a crucial fight for the future of working people in November.
Republican former Senator John Sununu, whose political dynasty has long served corporate power in New Hampshire, and Democratic Representative Chris Pappas, who overcame a spirited challenge from progressive scientist Karishma Manzur, each won their party primaries on Tuesday. This sets the stage for a Senate contest that will determine whether corporate interests or the needs of ordinary people will prevail in New Hampshire this fall. Sununu, who easily defeated former Senator Scott Brown with about 70% of the vote (with one-sixth of ballots counted), has benefited from establishment support and the endorsement of Donald Trump, further cementing the GOP’s alliance with big business. Pappas, meanwhile, beat Manzur—a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who ran on a platform of Medicare for All and climate action—by a margin of 62% to 36% with about 20% of the vote reported, reflecting the ongoing struggle within the Democratic Party between progressives and centrists.
This race could be pivotal for control of the Senate, with Sununu representing entrenched corporate interests and Pappas standing as the leading Democratic candidate to succeed retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Throughout the campaign, Pappas highlighted Sununu’s close ties to the pharmaceutical and insurance industries, exposing how Sununu took a $35 million job after pushing through tax breaks for those very sectors. In a desperate attempt to distract from Sununu’s record, a GOP Senate Leadership Fund nonprofit released an ad attacking Pappas for supposedly giving tax breaks to wealthy New Yorkers when he supported a 2021 climate and social-safety-net package—an effort to smear progressive policies that benefit working families.
Lauren French, spokesperson for the Democratic super-PAC Senate Majority PAC, affirmed that the New Hampshire contest would be fiercely competitive but expressed confidence that voters would reject corporate influence and elect a Democrat. Republicans, meanwhile, are banking on misleading anti-tax rhetoric to sway independent voters, as both parties intensify fundraising efforts ahead of a November election that will decide whether the Senate serves billionaires or the people.