Democrat Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire Senate seat, becoming first openly gay male senator
The gist
Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas defeated Republican former Sen. John E. Sununu in New Hampshire's Senate race.
His win keeps a Democratic seat and marks an LGBTQ+ first in the Senate.
How it unfolded
- Sep 8, 2026Pappas won New Hampshire's Democratic Senate primary, with Decision Desk HQ calling the race at 8:00 p.m. Eastern with 21 percent of the vote counted; Pappas had 60.08 percent to progressive medical scientist Karishma Manzur's 38.36 percent.
- Oct 30, 2026NHPR reported recent polling showed Pappas with a slim lead in what it called the state's tightest top-of-the-ticket contest.
- Nov 3, 2026Decision Desk HQ called the race for Pappas at 8 p.m. Eastern; with 22 percent of votes counted he led Sununu 60 percent to 37 percent. The Associated Press also called the race, and Sununu conceded and congratulated Pappas.