By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) – A late surge by a progressive challenger has injected drama into New Hampshire’s Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, threatening to complicate U.S. Representative Chris Pappas’ path to nomination.
In one of the last states holding primaries in 2026, New Hampshire voters will also choose nominees in a Republican Senate primary and in primaries for two U.S. House seats, just eight weeks before the November 3 general election when control of Congress is at stake.
Pappas, a moderate, has been the Democratic frontrunner since entering the race in April 2025, shortly after three-term Senator Jeanne Shaheen announced her retirement.
A four-term U.S. representative, Pappas has outpaced rivals in fundraising with $4.25 million in cash on hand and received endorsements from former Vice President Kamala Harris, Shaheen, U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and other top Democrats.
While he remains heavily favored, medical scientist Karishma Manzur, a progressive and member of the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter, has shrunk the gap in polls.
A University of New Hampshire poll on August 26 found Pappas leading Manzur 47% to 34%, reducing his lead to 13 percentage points from 24 points in June.
Her momentum follows a string of upsets by progressive Democrats in primaries in Michigan, Colorado, Florida and elsewhere.
Manzur, who has raised just $415,000, has sought to capitalize on cooling support for Israel among Democrats, repeatedly criticizing the Israeli government and highlighting support for Pappas from donors aligned with the pro-Israel AIPAC lobbying group.
The Democratic winner will likely face John Sununu, the son and brother of former New Hampshire governors, who holds a wide lead over fellow former Senator Scott Brown in the Republican primary.
Sununu, who garnered President Donald Trump’s endorsement in February, served a single six-year Senate term starting in 2003 before losing to Shaheen in 2008. He also held a U.S. House seat for six years.
New Hampshire voters, notorious for their close attention to elections, have split their party allegiances. The state’s two Senate seats and two House seats are held by Democrats while the governor’s post and state legislature are in Republican hands.
In the 2024 presidential race, Democrat Kamala Harris beat Republican Donald Trump, 50.9% to 48.1%, in New Hampshire. But with 31.9% of voters registered as Republicans, 28.1% as Democrats and 39.9% as independents, according to the Independent Voter Project, elections in the state can be suspenseful.
A crowded field of eight candidates is competing in the Democratic primary to replace Pappas in his House seat.
They include Stefany Shaheen, daughter of the retiring senator, ex-Marine captain Maura Sullivan and former Pentagon security official Christian Urrutia.
Among leading candidates in the Republican primary is auto dealer and top fundraiser Anthony DiLorenzo, whom Trump endorsed. State Republican Party official Hollie Noveletsky and state legislator Brian Cole are also running.
In the state’s other congressional Democratic primary race, Representative Maggie Goodlander is seeking a second term and is challenged by state legislator Paige Beauchemin.
Top contenders in the Republican primary are real estate investor Lily Williams, who is running for the seat for a third time, and roofing company owner Victor Orlando.
New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte is expected to win Tuesday’s Republican primary and is favored to defeat Democrat Cinde Warmington, running unopposed in the Democratic primary, in the general election.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; editing by Michael Learmonth and Cynthia Osterman)
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