Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire Democratic Senate primary over socialist challenger
Rep. Chris Pappas defeated progressive challenger Karishma Manzur in New Hampshire's Democratic Senate primary, setting up a critical general election fight for the open seat that could determine Senate control.
Rep. Chris Pappas won New Hampshire's Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, defeating socialist challenger Karishma Manzur in a race that will help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate after the midterm elections. The Associated Press called the race for Pappas, who had been the frontrunner since longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced she would not seek re-election.
Pappas now faces a competitive general election in a state Republicans view as a top pickup opportunity. The GOP has not won a Senate race in New Hampshire in 16 years, but the open seat gives the party a chance to expand its slim majority. Republicans are choosing between former Sens. John E. Sununu and Scott Brown in their own primary.
The contest between Pappas and Manzur became one of the final tests in a primary season marked by far-left victories over centrist candidates in several states, reflecting an ongoing ideological battle within the Democratic Party. Manzur, a first-time candidate with a Ph.D. in biochemistry who belongs to a local Democratic Socialists of America group, surged in recent weeks by positioning herself firmly to Pappas's left.
Manzur campaigned on universal health care, raising the minimum wage to at least $20 per hour, abolishing ICE, and ending all military aid to Israel, which she accused of committing "genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza. She repeatedly attacked Pappas for receiving support from the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, calling him a "genocide enabler" and arguing that he had failed to serve New Hampshire honorably during his eight years in Congress.
Pappas defended his record and his stance on Israel, calling the country "a historic ally of the United States, the only democracy in the region." He said it was possible to hold that position while expressing "vehement disagreements with the Netanyahu government," adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "being incredibly reckless right now" and could lose his upcoming election.
Throughout the campaign, Pappas emphasized his establishment and union backing while also adopting populist messaging about a political system "rigged for billionaires." He noted that he had been fighting to get big money out of politics since he was first elected in 2018. Manzur dismissed that shift as a late attempt to borrow her platform, saying it was "really embarrassing and insulting to the people of New Hampshire" for Pappas to adopt populist rhetoric only after polls showed him slipping.
Pappas described himself as appealing to pragmatic voters rather than ideological extremes, saying New Hampshire is "not a left-wing or a right-wing state." He pointed to his record of bringing people together as evidence he could unify the party after a heated primary, stressing that Democrats understand the stakes of the general election.
"This is an election here in New Hampshire that's going to determine the balance of power in the United States Senate," Pappas said. "And Democrats won't be able to take the majority back in the US Senate if they don't hold this specific seat here in New Hampshire."
