Chris Pappas

U.S. Senator-elect from New Hampshire; U.S. Representative, NH-1

Won

Rep. Chris Pappas won New Hampshire's open U.S. Senate seat 56.0% to former Sen. John E. Sununu's 42.2% on Nov. 3, 2026 (AP data via NBC News). He will be the first openly gay man elected to the Senate.

2026 race

U.S. Senate, New Hampshire

Pappas56.0%
Sununu42.2%

Result Won Won (hold): Pappas 56.0%, Sununu 42.2%

Source: nbcnews.com

Biography

Pappas has represented New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District since 2019. He previously served on the New Hampshire Executive Council and in the state House, and his family runs the Puritan Backroom restaurant in Manchester. Sununu conceded, telling supporters it was "not our night," CBS News reported.

Record

U.S. House, NH-1, since 2019
New Hampshire Executive Council (2013–2019)

Life & background

Things you might not know, from public records.

His family's Manchester restaurant, the Puritan Backroom, dates to the early 1900s; his grandfather claimed to have invented the chicken tender there in 1974. [Source]

Coverage

No articles yet.

Sources

2026 Senate Results: Democrats retake control NBC News (AP data)
2026 Senate midterm election results as Democrats win control CBS News
Chris Pappas (American politician) – Wikipedia Wikipedia

Updated 2026-11-04