MANCHESTER, N.H. — Rep. Chris Pappas, a Democrat, won New Hampshire’s open U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday, defeating John E. Sununu, a Republican and a former senator. The Associated Press called the race for Pappas at about 8:20 p.m. ET.
Pappas will succeed Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat who is retiring after 18 years in the seat. Sununu spoke to his supporters shortly after 8:10 p.m. ET and conceded the race. With the win, Pappas becomes the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate, the AP reported.
In the AP count as of about 10:20 p.m. ET, Pappas had 221,817 votes to Sununu’s 160,648, with 53 percent of precincts reporting. The count is unofficial and ballots are still being counted. A race call is a projection; the result becomes official only when New Hampshire certifies it in the coming weeks.
Who are the candidates?
Chris Pappas, Democrat. Pappas, 46, has represented New Hampshire’s 1st District in the U.S. House since 2019 and is in his fourth term. Before Congress he served in the state legislature and on the Executive Council, the state body that approves contracts and appointments. He is also a co-owner of his family’s Manchester restaurant, the Puritan Backroom. His campaign stressed health care costs, care for veterans and clean water.
John E. Sununu, Republican. Sununu, 62, held this same Senate seat from 2003 to 2009, when Jeanne Shaheen beat him. Before that he spent six years in the U.S. House. He is an engineer by training, the son of former governor John H. Sununu and the brother of former governor Chris Sununu. He came back to politics for this race, campaigning on cutting federal spending and lowering energy costs.
For the Senate as a whole, this result changes nothing by itself. Republicans began the night with a 53-to-47 majority, and Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control. So far their only net gain is North Carolina, where Roy Cooper took an open Republican seat. Senate control has not been called, and it turns on races that are still being counted, including Michigan, Texas and Maine.
Follow live results and race calls through the night on the Zark News election results page.
