Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) has been weighing a 2026 Senate run to replace retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in New Hampshire, and signs are pointing to the congressman pulling the lever.
Pappas is telling colleagues that he will announce his Senate run early next month, Axios reported on Wednesday.
If Pappas announces a run imminently, he’ll be getting ahead of prospective Senate candidates in Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), former GOP New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, and former Democratic New Hampshire Rep. Annie Kuster.
Pappas said during a town hall on Sunday that he was “thinking of running” for Senate. The remark drew strong applause from the 80-person crowd. The New Hampshire congressman is in the middle of his “Grounded in Granite” tour, where he has traveled across the state to listen to common concerns and likely survey the landscape for a run.
“I haven’t come to a decision yet, but I know these times are incredibly perilous and this is a time where we need the kind of leadership that Sen. Shaheen has demonstrated, which is about putting the needs of New Hampshire first,” he said.
Pappas made New Hampshire residents at the town hall know that he is concerned about cuts to Medicaid. “You think of the effort that’s underway now in Congress, where they’re pushing drastic cuts to Medicaid that would end Medicaid expansion in New Hampshire, resulting in 68,000 people losing their healthcare coverage, all in the name of giving big tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk,” Pappas said.
The congressman, who is on his fourth term in the House, represents New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the state’s most populous city, Manchester. Republicans are optimistic that if he leaves, they’ll be able to flip it.
“Republicans were already gaining ground in this district—but with Chris Pappas turning his back on his constituents, the odds of flipping it just shot up,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said in a statement. They cited President Donald Trump’s margin in the district in the 2024 election, losing by 2 percentage points to former Vice President Kamala Harris, as a reason for Republican optimism.
Pappas ended last year with $400,000 cash on hand, and announcing before the second quarter would give Pappas three months before he has to file with the FEC.
TRACKING WHAT DOGE IS DOING ACROSS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Goodlander, a freshman House member, is also debating a run. Pappas will likely announce his run regardless of Goodlander’s interest.
If Pappas were to run and win the Democratic primary, Sununu would likely be his Republican adversary if he chooses to run. While Republicans hope the four-term governor will hop into the race, he hasn’t given any indication he will yet.