Gay Congressman Chris Pappas Launches U.S. Senate Bid
The openly gay congressman has been holding a "listening tour" throughout New Hampshire as he seeks to succeed retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
Chris Pappas, one of Congress’s few out LGBTQ members, has announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat that will be open following three-term U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s announcement that she will retire at the end of her current term in 2026.
“I’m running for Senate because our economy, our democracy, and our way of life are on the line, and New Hampshire deserves a Senator who is grounded in the people, places, and values of this state,” Pappas said in a statement.
Taking a dig at President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, a Trump advisor and the unofficial head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Pappas added: “You can count on me to lead the charge to confront this administration, self-dealing billionaires, and extreme politicians who threaten our future and our ability to get things done for New Hampshire.”
Pappas, a Democrat who currently represents New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, had been visiting all 10 of New Hampshire’s counties as part of a “listening tour” — typically a predecessor to an official announcement — to gauge interest and whether there would be grassroots support for his candidacy.
“We’re getting out there and having lots of conversations with folks in all corners of the Granite State about what the path forward should look like, and I really trust and value the feedback of this state,” Pappas told the Valley News during his listening tour. “After all, I’ve lived here my entire life. I have a small family business here. I’m grounded in the people, places, and values of New Hampshire, and I want to do what’s right for our great state and our future.”
Announcing at the beginning of the second quarter gives Pappas three months to raise cash before filing with the Federal Election Commission. FEC filings are often seen as indicative of a campaign’s strength — and can influence whether national organizations decide to invest money in a race.
According to Axios, the most recent FEC filings show Pappas ended last year with $400,000 in cash on hand, which can be transferred to his Senate campaign should he choose to run.
New Hampshire’s other congressional representative, Maggie Goodlander, a first-term member, is also considering a run, according to Axios.
Regardless of whether there is a contested Democratic primary, the Senate seat will likely be heavily contested in the general, as former Republican Gov. Chris Sununu is weighing a Senate bid.
Former Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, who represented Massachusetts for less than two years before losing to Elizabeth Warren, and, after moving to the Granite State, lost to Shaheen in the 2014 U.S. Senate race, announced he would be running as well.
“I appreciate @jeanneshaheen’s service to our state and for her support and vote for me as NH’s Ambassador to NZ and Samoa,” Brown wrote on X. “Now it’s time for New Hampshire to have someone in the delegation who fights for our priorities and stands with, not against, the Trump agenda.”
Despite 2026 being a midterm election, national Republicans are enthusiastic to see a number of swing-state Senate seats, including New Hampshire, Michigan, and Minnesota, opening up, believing they have a chance to pad their margins in the upper chamber, reports Politico.
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the chair of National Republican Senatorial Committee, was practically ecstatic at news of Shaheen’s retirement earlier this month, writing on X, “Shaheen’s retirement is welcome news for Granite Staters eager for new leadership. New Hampshire has a proud tradition of electing common-sense Republicans — and will do so again in 2026!”
The National Republican Congressional Committee is likely secretly happy to see Pappas jump into the Senate race, as it’s usually easier for a non-incumbent political party to win an open-seat race, regardless of the national environment.
Still, Democrats are confident they’ll hold the seat, regardless of who their party’s nominee is.
“No Republican has won a Senate race in over a decade in New Hampshire, and that trend will continue in 2026,” David Bergstein, a spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told Politico. “This is exactly the kind of state where the building midterm backlash against Republicans will hit their candidates especially hard.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated to include Pappas’ official campaign announcement.
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