Pappas to face Sununu in New Hampshire U.S. Senate race

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(The Center Square) — Democratic New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas will face former Sen. John E. Sununu in the November elections to settle an open U.S. Senate race that could help decide the balance of power in Washington.

In Tuesday's primary elections, Pappas handily won the Democratic Party's nomination in a crowded four-way race for the seat being vacated by outgoing Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a three-term Democrat who is retiring. 

With about 25% of the votes counted, Pappas had 62% of the vote when the Associated Press called the race in his favor shortly after 8 p.m., about an hour after the polls closed. Karishma Manzur, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, had 36% of the vote, while several other Democratic contenders had less than single digits, according to the AP's unofficial tally.

Meanwhile, Sununu beat former Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Scott Brown in Tuesday's GOP primary to win the party's nomination, setting the stage for a showdown with Pappas in the general election. Sununu had nearly 70% of the vote to Brown's 25% when the AP called the race about an hour after the polls closed.

Sununu, a member of one of New Hampshire's most storied political families, was defeated by Shaheen in 2008. Brown, who represented Massachusetts in the Senate from 2010 until 2013, also lost a challenge to Shaheen in the 2014 Senate race. 

Sununu's political comeback campaign has also been endorsed by second-term Republican President Donald Trump. He said the Senate race is one of several pivotal to keeping the GOP's majority in the midterms.

Flipping the Senate seat, held by Democrats since 2008, is a key goal for Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has listed the seat as a toss-up race, saying internal polling suggests that Republicans have a slight edge over Democrats. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the Senate race as "leaning Democrat."

Republicans have a 53-45 edge over Democrats in the U.S. Senate, with two independents caucusing with the minority party. 

"After personally recruiting Sununu to run, Leader John Thune and Senate Republicans have expanded the map and are poised to flip the Granite State," Senate Leadership Fund Executive

Director Alex Latcham said in a statement. "From now until November, SLF will spend every day highlighting John E. Sununu's positive vision for New Hampshire while exposing the corruption, self-dealing, and radical record of Washington insider Chris Pappas."

New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley criticized Sununu for being Trump's "hand-picked" candidate "because he knows Sununu will be his pro-Trump puppet in the U.S. Senate."  

"Maybe if Sununu hadn't become so out of touch from cashing in with corporate special interests and making millions, he might've realized that Granite Staters are fed up with Trump's war with Iran, toxic tariffs, and health care cuts that keep driving costs up," Buckley said. "While John Sununu's preoccupied with appeasing Donald Trump, Chris Pappas is focused on doing what's best for New Hampshire."

Further down Tuesday's ballot, Shaheen's daughter, Stefany, was still battling for votes in a Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District to replace Pappas against ex-Marine Maria Sullivan.

By 8:30 p.m. Shaheen was ahead with 36% of the vote to Sullivan's 34%, according to the AP, which hadn't yet called the race. 

In the GOP primary for the 1st Congressional District, Trump-endorsed political newcomer Anthony DiLorenzo, who owns a chain of car dealerships and collision centers, defeated Hollie Noveletsky, an ironworks business owner, and Manchester state Rep. Brian Cole, according to the AP’s tally. 

National Republicans have also made flipping New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District a top target this year. The National Republican Congressional Committee has pumped money and resources into the race and is expected to ramp up spending after the primary. Meanwhile, Democrats hope to defend the seat they have held since 2017 despite the district’s competitive landscape. 

In other races, incumbent Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte easily won the party's nomination to run for another two-year term after fending off a challenge Tuesday from two GOP contenders. 

Ayotte, a former U.S. senator first elected two years ago, will face Democrat Cinde Warmington, an attorney and former executive council member who was unopposed on Tuesday's ballot.