New Hampshire voters pick nominees as Sen. Shaheen’s exit sparks a scramble for key seats
Sep 7, 2026, 9:03 PM | Updated: Sep 8, 2026, 6:56 pm
Former Sen. John E. Sununu, who is running for his old seat nearly 18 years after being ousted, mingles with voters at the Coos County Republican Committee BBQ in Berlin, N.H., Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Holly Ramer)
Credit: AP Photo/Holly Ramer
(AP Photo/Holly Ramer)
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire primary voters are choosing candidates for Congress, governor and the 424-seat state Legislature on Tuesday, and incumbents aren’t the only familiar names on the ballot.
U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s decision to not seek reelection created a cascade of competitive races. Two of the eight Republicans hoping to replace the three-term Democrat are former U.S. senators she previously defeated: John E. Sununu and Scott Brown. The five-way race for the Democratic nomination includes U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, whose departure from his 1st Congressional District seat in turn attracted a crowd of candidates.
Shaheen’s daughter, Stefany Shaheen, is among those seeking the Democratic nomination for Pappas’ seat, along with former candidate Maura Sullivan. Several other candidates in top races also are making repeat appearances.
Sununu, who spent six years in the U.S. House and one term in the Senate before being ousted by Shaheen in 2008, has this time focused on themes including affordability for housing, healthcare and energy, holding Congress accountable and constituent service.
“I’ve been out of politics for 17 years. I’m not worried about reelection,” he said during a campaign stop last month. “I don’t need an appointment or a job. I don’t need to make anyone happy. I need to do one thing: Stand up for the people of New Hampshire.”
Brown previously represented Massachusetts, where he won a special election in 2010 after the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy before losing in 2012. He unsuccessfully challenged Shaheen in 2014 and served as ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa during President Donald Trump’s first term.
In a July interview, he said he decided to run again because New Hampshire Republicans have no representation in Congress and because, in his view, his experience as a veteran, lawmaker, ambassador and grandfather is unmatched.
He accuses Sununu — whose father and younger brother are former governors — of coasting on his name. Sununu also has the backing of Trump, despite having called him “a loser” in 2024, but Brown said that will just make him beholden to the president and other special interests.
“I’m the only truly independent candidate here who can actually vote on anything with a clear conscience and with New Hampshire’s best interests at heart,” Brown said.
Jim Loomis, 83, of Bow, said he backed Brown in 2014 but not on Tuesday because “he never got traction back again.” He acknowledged Sununu had been out of politics for even longer but still voted for him.
“I think what he’s done for work over the years has kept him close enough to what’s going on, and then with his family ties, I just think he’s got a more stable base,” he said.
Pappas, who is giving up his House seat after four terms, raised twice as much money as Sununu and Brown combined and dwarfed his Democratic primary opponents, as well. He also enjoyed a wide lead in polls, though recently lost some ground to scientist and democratic socialist Karishma Manzur.
Kristin Selesnick, 41, of Bow, said Pappas was a “fine” candidate but she doesn’t like that he accepts money from super PACs and that he voted “present” on a measure to restrict weapons sales to Israel instead of voting no. She voted for Manzur.
“I just like her whole platform,” she said. “I think she would be a great voice for the Granite State.”
Stefany Shaheen and Sullivan are the leading candidates among seven seeking the Democratic nomination in the 1st District.
Shaheen is a former city councilor in Portsmouth. She founded a business to help people with chronic medical conditions after one of her daughters was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She also is part of a bio-tech initiative in New Hampshire to advance regenerative medicine.
Sullivan is a former Marine and Iraq War veteran who served as an assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs under President Barack Obama. A vice chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, Sullivan ran for the 1st District seat in 2018, losing in an 11-candidate primary to Pappas in his first congressional bid.
The Republican field of four candidates includes political newcomer Anthony DiLorenzo, who owns a chain of car dealerships and has been endorsed by Trump, and Hollie Noveletsky, a veteran and nurse practitioner who runs a steel fabrication company and ran for the same seat two years ago.
In the 2nd District, first-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Maggie Goodlander faces a primary challenge from Paige Beachemin, a progressive state lawmaker and nurse. The four-person Republican primary field includes Lily Tang Williams, who was the nominee two years ago and is making her third attempt at the seat.
In contrast to the all-Democratic congressional delegation, Republicans dominate state government.
Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte faces two little-known opponents in her primary as she seeks a second two-year term. Cinde Warmington, a healthcare attorney, is unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Voters also will be nominating candidates for the entire state Legislature, where Republicans hold a roughly 40-vote majority in the 400-member House and outnumber Democrats in the Senate 16-8.
Accustomed to going first when it comes to presidential primaries, New Hampshire is among the last states to hold state-level primary elections, leaving the winners just eight weeks to woo voters before Nov. 3. But legislation passed this year moves future state primaries to the second Tuesday in June.
