Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire 2026 Senate election

Washington — Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas defeated former GOP Sen. John Sununu in the New Hampshire Senate race, CBS News projects, keeping the seat in Democratic control after Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s retirement. 

Pappas, 46, has represented New Hampshire in the House since 2019, where he’s a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. He campaigned as an independent voice for New Hampshire, taking on a formidable opponent in Sununu, whose family has widespread name recognition in the state.

Sununu, 62, is the son of former Gov. John H. Sununu and brother of former Gov. Chris Sununu, and his name carries significant weight in New Hampshire. He sought a comeback bid to the upper chamber — after representing New Hampshire in the House and Senate for more than a decade, he was defeated by Shaheen in 2008.

With Sununu, Republicans saw one of few opportunities for a pickup this cycle, looking to flip the seat although New Hampshire hasn’t elected a Republican to the Senate since 2010. And though a Republican also hasn’t won in the state at the presidential level since 2000, Republicans have controlled the governor’s mansion since 2017. 

As a number of GOP Senate candidates have faced surprisingly competitive races this cycle, amid the unpopular war in Iran and high gas and diesel prices, Republicans were more hopeful about Sununu, who has sought to distance himself from President Trump. 

Late in the campaign, he released a spot saying, “”The way Chris Pappas tells it, I’m President Trump’s long-lost son. I’ve never even met the man.” He promised to be independent, declaring that “when the president’s policies are bad for New Hampshire, I’ll oppose them.”

But Sununu’s efforts to distance himself from the president weren’t enough to overcome strong headwinds for Republicans.

With Pappas’ projected victory, Democrats hold on to a key seat as they eye possible flips in several races that could tip the scales in their favor and deliver a Democratic majority.