Chris Pappas Wins New Hampshire Senate Race Over John Sununu
Democrat Chris Pappas has won New Hampshire's race for the U.S. Senate, defeating former Republican senator John Sununu, CBS News projected. The Associated Press also reported the result. The election took place on November 3, 2026.
The seat was open because Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen is retiring. Pappas, a four-term Democratic congressman, was the Democratic candidate to succeed her. The Guardian reported that his victory kept the seat from flipping to Republican control.
Sununu had represented New Hampshire in the Senate before losing his seat in 2008. He returned to the race as the Republican candidate this year.
Pappas is also set to make history. According to The Guardian, he will be the first out gay man to serve in the U.S. Senate. The Wall Street Journal reported that he did not focus on that milestone during his campaign.
A Senate seat is one of 100 in the chamber of Congress that writes federal laws, and each state elects two senators for six-year terms. Because Shaheen is leaving, the winner will take office in place of a senator who had held the seat for years. The results mark one more step in determining which party controls the Senate.
