--- title: "Pappas vs. Sununu: 2026 New Hampshire Senate race" url: "https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-senate-nh" updated: "2026-10-01" source: "Candidates' campaign sites and Ballotpedia, quoted verbatim" publisher: "Pluribus" --- # 2026 New Hampshire Senate race: Chris Pappas (D) vs. John Sununu (R) Rating: Toss-up · Election: November 3, 2026 · Ballot checked: October 9, 2026 · Positions captured: October 1, 2026 The 2026 U.S. Senate election in New Hampshire features Democratic U.S. Representative Chris Pappas against former Republican U.S. Senator John Sununu for the open seat created by the retirement of incumbent Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen. The election is set for November 3, 2026, following primary victories by both candidates on September 8, 2026. Strategists view the race as pivoting on key economic issues such as inflation, utility costs, housing shortages, and tax policy, along with contrasts on candidate records and alignment with New Hampshire priorities. ## Candidates - **Chris Pappas** (Democrat) · [Campaign site](https://chrispappas.org) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Pappas) - **John Sununu** (Republican) · [Campaign site](https://www.sununusenator.com/) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/John_E._Sununu) ## Issues ### Cost of living and the economy Salience: high Pappas focuses on lowering costs through tax credits, Medicare price negotiations, and tariff opposition, while Sununu advocates for deregulation, tariff waivers on building materials, and increased market competition. **Chris Pappas:** Lowers middle-class costs and taxes Pappas focuses on lowering everyday costs for New Hampshire families across utilities, groceries, childcare, healthcare, and housing. He advocates for restoring the expanded Child Tax Credit, tax relief for first-time homebuyers, and capping prescription drug costs. He also opposes Trump-era tariffs that increase consumer prices and supports reimbursing impacted small businesses. - Supports restoring the expanded Child Tax Credit to assist working families with childcare, healthcare, and groceries. - Took on Big Pharma to allow Medicare price negotiation and capped insulin at $35 per month. - Opposes tariffs that increase costs for consumers and small businesses. > “Chris is fighting to lower costs for families and small businesses on everything from utilities to groceries and to make high-quality child care, health care, and housing more affordable and within reach for people across New Hampshire.” > — Chris Pappas, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Pappas) **John Sununu:** Promotes competition and tax relief Sununu stresses that inflation has negatively impacted core household needs, including healthcare, housing, and energy. He advocates for market-driven solutions, regulatory rollbacks, expanding health savings accounts, and eliminating tariffs on building supplies to lower costs. He highlights his record in Congress of opposing tax hikes and banning internet taxes. - Proposes waiving tariffs on building materials and cutting regulations to lower living costs. - Promotes expanding health savings accounts and price transparency in healthcare. - Points to his previous legislative achievements, including banning internet taxes and opposing tax increases. > “Right now, New Hampshire needs someone who understands the state and who is focused on the right things: the economy, jobs, affordability, housing, energy and healthcare.” > — John Sununu, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/John_E._Sununu) ### Energy and environment Salience: high Pappas promotes clean energy investments, climate resilience, and addressing water contamination, whereas Sununu prioritizes expanding oil, gas, transmission, and pipeline infrastructure. **Chris Pappas:** Supports clean energy and environmental protection Pappas advocates an all-of-the-above energy strategy alongside investments in clean energy, electric vehicle charging, and home weatherization tax cuts. He backed landmark climate resilience legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. He has also authored legislation addressing PFAS 'forever chemicals' and replacing lead water pipes. - Secured federal funding for clean energy, EV charging infrastructure, and family home weatherization. - Voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and Great American Outdoors Act. - Authored legislation to eliminate PFAS 'forever chemicals' and establish national drinking water standards. > “Chris supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy to meet the needs of Granite Staters, lower costs, and ensure America can become truly energy independent.” > — Chris Pappas, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Pappas) **John Sununu:** Expands domestic energy production and infrastructure Sununu advocates for increasing domestic energy supply, building out transmission infrastructure, and expanding pipeline capacity to bring down heating and utility costs. He points to his past legislative record of protecting public lands like the White Mountain National Forest. He criticizes Pappas for supporting taxes on energy. - Calls for increasing domestic energy production and building more pipeline capacity. - Advocates for expanding energy transmission infrastructure to improve grid capacity. - Highlights past conservation achievements, including legislation protecting the White Mountain National Forest. > “On energy, we need more production, more transmission infrastructure and more pipeline capacity.” > — John Sununu, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/John_E._Sununu) ### Health care Salience: high Pappas views healthcare as a right and supports strengthening the ACA and Medicare drug negotiations, while Sununu advocates market competition, price transparency, and expanded health savings accounts. **Chris Pappas:** Expands coverage and lowers drug costs Pappas views health care as a fundamental right and supports strengthening the Affordable Care Act, expanding rural health services, and protecting Medicare. On the Executive Council, he voted to expand Medicaid for over 50,000 residents. In Congress, he helped authorize Medicare drug price negotiations and capped insulin costs at $35 per month. - Supported expanding Medicaid to over 50,000 Granite Staters while serving on the Executive Council. - Fought to restore ACA enhanced premium tax credits and lower out-of-pocket prescription costs. - Opposed Republican budget proposals that reduced Medicare and healthcare funding. > “Chris believes that health care for all Granite Staters should be a right, not a privilege.” > — Chris Pappas, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Pappas) **John Sununu:** Promotes competition and health savings accounts Sununu emphasizes market-based health reforms to lower costs for consumers. His platform focuses on enhancing healthcare market competition, increasing pricing transparency across providers, and expanding access to health savings accounts. He also highlights his record of protecting seniors during his previous term in office. - Advocates expanding Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to give consumers more control over healthcare spending. - Calls for increasing price transparency among healthcare providers. - Focuses on boosting market competition to lower care and prescription costs. > “On health care, affordability comes from competition, expanding health savings accounts and increasing price transparency.” > — John Sununu, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/John_E._Sununu) ### Housing Salience: high Pappas focuses on tax credits for first-time buyers and federal funding for affordable housing, whereas Sununu prioritizes permitting reform, regulatory rollbacks, and waiving tariffs on building materials. **Chris Pappas:** Expands affordable housing and buyer tax cuts Pappas addresses New Hampshire's housing shortage by advocating for reduced local red tape, tax cuts for first-time homebuyers, and expanded financing for affordable housing projects. He highlights that the state faces a projected shortage of 90,000 housing units. He also links the Child Tax Credit expansion to helping families cover rent and mortgage payments. - Supports tax relief for first-time homebuyers and federal financing for affordable developments. - Advocates cutting administrative red tape to accelerate municipal home construction. - Pushes for restoring the expanded Child Tax Credit to assist with monthly housing payments. > “Chris is working to make homeownership a reality for more Granite Staters by cutting red tape for communities to build more homes, providing tax cuts to help first-time home buyers, and supporting the financing and development of affordable housing.” > — Chris Pappas, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Pappas) **John Sununu:** Deregulates construction and waives tariffs Sununu addresses the housing affordability crisis by targeting supply constraints and construction overhead. He proposes waiving tariffs on imported building supplies, cutting regulatory hurdles for workforce housing projects, and passing federal permitting reform to speed up development. - Proposes waiving tariffs on building materials to lower housing construction expenses. - Calls for reducing regulations that impede workforce housing development. - Advocates federal permitting reform to streamline housing projects. > “On housing, we should waive tariffs on building materials, reduce regulations affecting workforce housing and pursue permitting reform.” > — John Sununu, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/John_E._Sununu) ### Government ethics and election reform Salience: medium Pappas champions a comprehensive anti-corruption agenda including campaign finance reform and stock-trading bans, while Sununu focuses on election integrity measures such as voter ID. **Chris Pappas:** Bans stock trading and dark money Pappas champions ethics reform, breaking with House leadership to support bans on congressional stock trading and introducing the CLEAN Act to codify internal ethics oversight. He supports the DISCLOSE Act to eliminate dark money, overturning Citizens United, and refusing corporate PAC money. He also introduced bills banning political prediction market insider trading and lifetime lobbying bans for former members on behalf of foreign governments. - Refuses corporate PAC money and sponsors the DISCLOSE Act to end dark money in elections. - Supports bans on member stock trading and trading in political prediction markets. - Introduced the CLEAN Act to codify the Office of Congressional Ethics and the Fighting Foreign Influence Act to ban foreign government lobbying. > “Pappas broke with Democratic House leadership to support a ban on congressional stock trading.” > — Chris Pappas, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Pappas) **John Sununu:** Supports voter ID laws Sununu highlights election integrity as a priority, criticizing Pappas for opposing mandatory voter ID laws. He emphasizes his reputation for independent, common-sense governance and points to past bipartisan legislative success. - Supports voter ID requirements for elections. - Criticizes Pappas for opposing mandatory voter ID laws. > “Chris Pappas has consistently taken positions that I think are out of sync with where many people in New Hampshire are. He voted for energy taxes as families struggled with heating costs. He opposes voter ID.” > — John Sununu, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/John_E._Sununu) ### Foreign policy and national security Salience: medium Pappas supports aid to Ukraine, security assistance for Israel with humanitarian aid for Gaza, and semiconductor reshoring, while Sununu stresses strictly defining military objectives and enforcing a Middle East ceasefire. **Chris Pappas:** Supports global allies and domestic manufacturing Pappas supports strong U.S. international engagement, backing aid to Ukraine against Russian aggression and sanctions against Putin's regime. Following the October 7 attacks, he affirmed Israel's right to defend itself while supporting over $9 billion in Gaza humanitarian aid and a ceasefire that releases hostages and removes Hamas. He also authored the CHIPS and Science Act to onshore semiconductor manufacturing and compete with China. - Supported bipartisan aid for Ukraine and strict sanctions against Russia. - Backs security aid for Israel, $9 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza, and a two-state solution. - Helped pass the CHIPS and Science Act to onshore semiconductor production and limit foreign reliance. > “In Congress Chris has worked to safeguard American interests and values across the globe, support our allies, and protect democracy from the rising influence of authoritarian regimes like Russia, Iran, and China.” > — Chris Pappas, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Pappas) **John Sununu:** Limits military force to clear objectives Sununu argues that U.S. military deployment must strictly align with clear national security goals. Regarding Middle East tensions, he defines key objectives as preventing an Iranian nuclear weapon, degrading missile capabilities, and stopping state-sponsored terrorism. He advocates for establishing a permanent ceasefire and securing the Strait of Hormuz, while endorsing the War Powers Act framework. - Demands that military action be tied to strict national security goals. - Outlines key objectives in Iran: stopping nuclear weapons acquisition, degrading missiles, and halting terrorism. - Calls for a permanent Middle East ceasefire and restoring open navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. > “In Iran, that means preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, degrading its ballistic missile capability and preventing support for terrorism throughout the region.” > — John Sununu, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/John_E._Sununu) ### LGBTQ+ rights and social issues Salience: medium Pappas leads legislation protecting LGBTQ+ equality and marriage rights, whereas Sununu opposes transgender girls participating in female sports divisions. **Chris Pappas:** Champions LGBTQ+ equality and marriage rights Pappas, the first openly gay member of Congress from New Hampshire, serves as Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. He introduced legislation banning discrimination in housing and employment, co-sponsored the Respect for Marriage Act, and authored the SERVE Act to restore VA benefits for LGBTQ+ veterans discharged under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. - Co-sponsored and passed the Respect for Marriage Act protecting marriage equality. - Introduced the SERVE Act to restore VA benefits for LGBTQ+ veterans. - Co-chairs the Congressional Equality Caucus and advocates for full legal anti-discrimination protections. > “Throughout his career, Chris has been a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ equality.” > — Chris Pappas, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Pappas) **John Sununu:** Opposes transgender girls in female sports Sununu addresses gender identity policy by voicing explicit opposition to biological males competing in female sports divisions, characterizing Pappas's support for inclusive sports policies as out of touch with New Hampshire voters. - Opposes allowing biological males to compete in female sports categories. - Frames gender identity policies in sports as a key area of contrast with Pappas. > “He supports allowing boys to compete in girls' sports.” > — John Sununu, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/John_E._Sununu) ### Immigration and border security Salience: medium Pappas outlines a detailed immigration platform emphasizing legal reform, DREAMer protections, and local law enforcement redirection, whereas Sununu has no documented position in the text. **Chris Pappas:** Combines legal pathways with targeted enforcement Pappas advocates for comprehensive immigration reform providing legal pathways for law-abiding immigrants, protecting DREAMers, and enhancing border infrastructure and technology. He successfully blocked a proposed ICE detention facility in Merrimack, advocating for local approval requirements. He also authored legislation redirecting ICE's $75 billion fund toward local law enforcement agencies. - Supports legal pathways for immigrants, DREAMer protections, and high-tech border security. - Blocked an ICE detention center in Merrimack to preserve local community control. - Introduced legislation redirecting ICE funds to local law enforcement agencies. > “Chris supports comprehensive, common-sense immigration reform that will help fix our broken system and allow immigrants who work hard and follow the rules get a shot at their American dream.” > — Chris Pappas, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Pappas) **John Sununu:** No documented position in our sources ### Public education Salience: medium Pappas advocates for federal public school funding, expanded Pell Grants, and trade apprenticeships, whereas Sununu has no documented position in the text. **Chris Pappas:** Invests in public schools and higher education Pappas strongly supports investing in public education, teacher support, and expanding vocational and apprenticeship training. He supports expanding Pell Grants, community college affordability, and student loan forgiveness for in-demand fields like nursing. He also successfully restored $27 million in federal education funds for New Hampshire withheld during the Trump administration. - Restored $27 million in withheld federal education funds for New Hampshire schools. - Supports expanded Pell Grants, debt forgiveness for high-demand careers, and community college funding. - Expanded career apprenticeships and allowed veterans to apply GI benefits to trade programs. > “He has stood firm against ongoing efforts in Washington to dismantle public education and prevent federal resources from getting to our students, teachers, and communities.” > — Chris Pappas, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Pappas) **John Sununu:** No documented position in our sources ## Polls and markets _Updated Oct 31._ - Latest poll: Rasmussen Reports, Oct 23, 970 LV, Pappas +6.0 — Pappas 50%, Sununu 44% - [Polymarket](https://polymarket.com/event/new-hampshire-senate-election-winner) — New Hampshire Senate Election Winner: Democrats 93.0%, Republicans 7.5% - [Polymarket](https://polymarket.com/event/new-hampshire-democratic-senate-primary-winner) — New Hampshire Democratic Senate Primary Winner: Democrats 100.0% - [Polymarket](https://polymarket.com/event/new-hampshire-republican-senate-primary-winner-296) — New Hampshire Republican Senate Primary Winner: Republicans 100.0% - [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/events/SENATENH-26) — New Hampshire Senate winner?: Chris Pappas 92.4%, John E. Sununu 7.8% - [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/events/KXSENATENHR-26) — New Hampshire Republican Senate nominee?: John E. Sununu 99.7%, Scott Brown 0.1%, Chris Sununu 0.1% - [Kalshi](https://kalshi.com/events/KXSENATENHD-26) — New Hampshire Democratic Senate nominee?: Chris Pappas 99.9%, Karishma Manzur 0.1%, Jared Sullivan 0.1% [View this race on 2026election.com](https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-senate-nh)