Chris Pappas Faces Primary Challenge and General Election Deficit

U.S. Representative Chris Pappas is navigating a dual political challenge in New Hampshire as he seeks the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen. A University of New Hampshire survey indicates Pappas currently trails Republican candidate and former Senator John E. Sununu 43% to 45%, the first poll to show the Republican leading in the state.

Simultaneously, Pappas is facing a surge from progressive primary challenger Karishma Manzur. A recent UNH Survey Center poll shows Pappas leading Manzur by 13 points, a sharp decline from the 43-point lead he held in April. Manzur is campaigning on a platform that includes universal health care, a $25 minimum wage, and an end to military aid to Israel.

To counter Manzur's momentum, Pappas has adopted rhetoric criticizing a political system he describes as broken and skewed toward corporate interests. Manzur has dismissed this shift, claiming Pappas is copying her talking points. Despite the tightening primary, Pappas holds over $5 million in cash and recently received an endorsement from former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Pappas has warned that New Hampshire is a highly competitive purple state and that Democrats must hold the seat to maintain a viable path toward regaining a Senate majority. He attributed Sununu's current polling lead to the established brand and name recognition of the Sununu family.