Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, 46, has been elected to the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire, becoming the first openly gay man to serve in the chamber. He will succeed Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who announced her retirement earlier this year after 18 years in the Senate.
The Associated Press projected Pappas’s victory over Republican John Sununu, preserving a seat Democrats already held. Keeping it avoids a loss as the party seeks to win a Senate majority and strengthen its ability to scrutinize the Trump administration.
The race tightened in its final weeks, with polls showing the candidates drawing closer. In September, Cook Political Report rated the contest a toss-up, despite New Hampshire voting for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
A member of Congress since 2019, Pappas is part of the Democratic Party’s moderate wing and has sometimes voted against its position. During the campaign, he presented himself as a counterpoint to President Donald Trump and criticized administration measures, including Medicaid cuts and the war against Iran.
Sununu, who had Trump’s backing, sought to return to the Senate nearly two decades after losing his 2008 re-election bid to Shaheen. A member of a prominent New Hampshire political family, he is the brother of former Gov. Chris Sununu and the son of another former governor. Sununu distanced himself from Trump on issues including the war in Iran and U.S. foreign policy, while Pappas linked his opponent to the White House agenda.
Pappas’s election also marks a milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in Congress. The Senate has previously included openly lesbian and bisexual members, but Pappas will be its first openly gay man.
Sources: Folha Mundo.