Democratic Representative Chris Pappas makes history as the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate after defeating former Republican Senator John Sununu in New Hampshire on November 3, 2026. Pappas, who outraised Sununu by over $15 million and secured endorsements from Republicans like Don Bolduc, preserves a key seat held by retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen. His victory marks the third election of an out LGBTQ+ senator in U.S. history.
Pappas's historic election as openly gay senator
- ▪Chris Pappas did not center his sexual orientation on his 2026 Senate campaign trail, though his husband attended events and appeared in his 2026 Senate campaign announcement video
- ▪LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD congratulated Chris Pappas on his 2026 Senate election win, with Human Rights Campaign calling it a historic win for equality
- ▪Democrat Chris Pappas became the first openly gay man elected to the United States Senate following his November 3, 2026 victory in New Hampshire
History of LGBTQ+ representation in the Senate
- ▪California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler to the U.S. Senate in 2023, making her the nation's first Black lesbian senator
- ▪Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin became the first openly gay person elected to the U.S. Senate when she won her election in 2012
- ▪The election of Chris Pappas marks the third time an openly LGBTQ+ individual has been elected to the U.S. Senate, joining Tammy Baldwin and Kyrsten Sinema
Pappas's primary and general election victories
- ▪Democratic Representative Chris Pappas defeated former Republican Senator John Sununu on November 3, 2026, in the New Hampshire U.S. Senate election
- ▪Chris Pappas secured the Democratic nomination for the New Hampshire U.S. Senate seat by defeating progressive democratic socialist candidate Karishma Manzur in the primary
Endorsements for Chris Pappas
- ▪Former Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed Democrat Chris Pappas in his successful 2026 New Hampshire U.S. Senate campaign
- ▪2022 Republican Senate nominee Don Bolduc and former GOP state Senator Rick Russman endorsed Democrat Chris Pappas over Republican John Sununu
Backgrounds of the Senate candidates
- ▪John Sununu, who served in the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2009, was endorsed by Donald Trump but released an ad in late October pledging opposition to Trump's policies harmful to New Hampshire
- ▪Chris Pappas, a 46-year-old former co-owner of the Puritan Backroom restaurant in Manchester, previously served four terms representing New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District
Pappas's legislative record and campaign platform
- ▪On the campaign trail, Chris Pappas focused his platform on addressing high costs, healthcare affordability, protecting Social Security, and combating Washington corruption
- ▪While serving in Congress as co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Chris Pappas frequently broke with House Democrats while receiving top ratings from Reproductive Freedom for All and AFL-CIO
History of the New Hampshire Senate seat
- ▪Chris Pappas's 2026 Senate election victory maintained Democratic control over the New Hampshire Senate seat vacated by retiring three-term Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen
- ▪Retiring Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen previously defeated Republican John Sununu in 2008 to win her New Hampshire U.S. Senate seat
Congressional control in the 2026 midterms
- ▪Pre-election polls indicated Democrats had a good chance of seizing the U.S. House and possibly the Senate amid voter anger over the U.S. economy and the war against Iran
- ▪Prior to the November 2026 midterms, Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to secure a majority in the U.S. Senate
Story comments
Loading comments…