Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire on Thursday announced his candidacy for the Senate in the 2026 race to succeed retiring longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. (Getty Images)
For its part, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) instantly took aim at Pappas as being out of step with everyday New Hampshire voters.
"Chris Pappas supports biological males competing in women's sports, wants to ban gas-powered vehicles, and voted to raise taxes on hard-working Granite Staters," NRSC regional press secretary Nick Puglia charged in a statement. "Pappas is extremely out of touch, and New Hampshire families deserve better."
Additionally, Fox News obtained a memo from the NRSC to donors making the case that the GOP can flip the seat.
"Our internal polling data in New Hampshire demonstrates a favorable political environment for Republicans in this toss-up Senate race," the NRSC argued in the memo. "With a registration advantage, edge on the generic ballot, stronger enthusiasm among our voters, and alignment with independents on core party policy issues, Republicans are well positioned to flip this open Senate seat in New Hampshire regardless of who either party nominates."
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In the race for the GOP Senate nomination in New Hampshire, former longtime Gov. Chris Sununu told Fox News Digital last month that he was holding a dialogue with national GOP leaders about potentially running.
Republican former Sen. Scott Brown is interviewed by Fox News Digital on Dec. 24, 2024 in Rye, New Hampshire. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)
Former Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who later narrowly lost to Shaheen in New Hampshire in the 2014 election, is seriously considering a 2026 run.
Brown, who served four years as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand during President Donald Trump’s first administration, has been holding meetings with Republicans across New Hampshire for a couple of months and has met multiple times with GOP officials in the nation’s capital.
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Pappas may not have the Democratic Senate primary in New Hampshire all to himself.
Sources close to Rep. Maggie Goodlander in New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District said last month that the first-term representative is considering a Senate run.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., speaks at a policy event on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, in Concord, New Hampshire. Shaheen announced last month that she would not seek re-election in 2026 to a fourth six-year term in the Senate. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
"I learned about serving the community, running our family business, which has been around for over 100 years, every day at the restaurant, you need to bring hard work and determination to get the job done," Pappas highlighted in his video.
However, Brown took to social media to take aim at Pappas, in a possible preview of a potential general election clash.
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".@ChrisPappasNH talks about being grounded in ‘New Hampshire values,’ good luck squaring that rhetoric with his record in Washington D.C. supporting wide open borders, men in women’s sports and lying to his constituents about Joe Biden’s senility," Brown charged in his post.
The Pappas campaign says the candidate will hold a kick-off event at the Puritan Backroom later on Thursday and will stump across the state over the weekend.
Pappas, who is the first openly gay man to represent New Hampshire in Congress, currently serves on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and on the Transportation and Infrastructure committee.
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