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Striking a populist taxable and showcasing that helium is simply a fighter, Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas connected Thursday declared his candidacy successful the 2026 contention to win retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a chap Democrat, successful the cardinal plaything authorities of New Hampshire.
"What I perceive from people, they privation idiosyncratic who shows up, idiosyncratic who listens and idiosyncratic who isn't acrophobic to instrumentality connected the large fights, and much importantly today, who knows however to triumph them," Pappas said successful a run motorboat video posted connected societal media.
Using clips of a listening circuit helium made done each 10 of New Hampshire's counties past period arsenic helium ramps up toward moving for the Senate, Pappas said voters consciousness similar "the system's rigged."
"You deliberation astir the Social Security bureau that's going to beryllium closed successful Littleton, drastic cuts to Medicaid, each successful the sanction of giving large taxation breaks to billionaires similar Elon Musk," helium argued, arsenic helium pointed to President Donald Trump's apical donor and the world's richest person, who is starring the administration's arguable downsizing of the national authorities workforce.
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Pappas emphasized, "I bash get angry, due to the fact that erstwhile you're talking astir nationalist service, you should beryllium focused connected however you tin assistance people, however you tin marque people's lives better."
The four-term congressman, who represents the eastbound fractional of the state, is the archetypal large campaigner successful the contention to win the 78-year-old Shaheen.
Shaheen, the archetypal pistillate successful the nation's past elected politician and to the Senate, announced past period that she would not question a 4th six-year word representing New Hampshire erstwhile she is up for re-election adjacent year.
The spot is 1 of the Senate Republicans' apical targets arsenic they purpose to grow their 53-47 bulk successful the enclosure successful adjacent year's midterms.
Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire connected Thursday announced his candidacy for the Senate successful the 2026 contention to win retiring longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. (Getty Images)
For its part, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) instantly took purpose astatine Pappas arsenic being retired of measurement with mundane New Hampshire voters.
"Chris Pappas supports biologic males competing successful women's sports, wants to prohibition gas-powered vehicles, and voted to rise taxes connected hard-working Granite Staters," NRSC determination property caput Nick Puglia charged successful a statement. "Pappas is highly retired of touch, and New Hampshire families merit better."
Additionally, Fox News obtained a memo from the NRSC to donors making the lawsuit that the GOP tin flip the seat.
"Our interior polling information successful New Hampshire demonstrates a favorable governmental situation for Republicans successful this toss-up Senate race," the NRSC argued successful the memo. "With a registration advantage, borderline connected the generic ballot, stronger enthusiasm among our voters, and alignment with independents connected halfway enactment argumentation issues, Republicans are good positioned to flip this unfastened Senate spot successful New Hampshire careless of who either enactment nominates."
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In the contention for the GOP Senate information successful New Hampshire, erstwhile longtime Gov. Chris Sununu told Fox News Digital past period that helium was holding a dialog with nationalist GOP leaders astir perchance running.
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, connected his past afloat time successful office, is interviewed by Fox News Digital successful Concord, New Hampshire, connected Jan. 8, 2025. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)
Sununu, who enjoys a ample nationalist illustration acknowledgment to his regular appearances the past fewer years connected the cablegram quality networks and Sunday speech shows, said helium expected to marque a determination successful the coming weeks.
However, Sununu noted that portion "the door’s open" to running, helium emphasized "it's not unfastened a lot, to beryllium honest."
The erstwhile governor’s comments successful caller interviews are a power from past year, erstwhile helium repeatedly said helium would not question to tally for the Senate successful 2026.
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Four years ago, Sununu expressed involvement successful moving for the Senate against his predecessor arsenic governor, Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan, who was up for re-election successful 2022. The fashionable politician was heavy courted by nationalist Republicans to instrumentality connected Hassan.
However, connected Nov. 9, 2021, Sununu announced that helium would alternatively tally for a 4th word arsenic governor, upsetting galore Republicans successful the nation's capital.
He besides heavy criticized the Senate. "They statement and speech and thing gets done," helium said astatine the time.
Sununu is not the lone Republican mulling a Senate bid successful New Hampshire.
Republican erstwhile Sen. Scott Brown is interviewed by Fox News Digital connected Dec. 24, 2024 successful Rye, New Hampshire. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)
Former Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who aboriginal narrowly mislaid to Shaheen successful New Hampshire successful the 2014 election, is earnestly considering a 2026 run.
Brown, who served 4 years arsenic U.S. ambassador to New Zealand during President Donald Trump’s archetypal administration, has been holding meetings with Republicans crossed New Hampshire for a mates of months and has met aggregate times with GOP officials successful the nation’s capital.
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Pappas whitethorn not person the Democratic Senate superior successful New Hampshire each to himself.
Sources adjacent to Rep. Maggie Goodlander successful New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District said past period that the first-term typical is considering a Senate run.
Now-Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H., speaks astatine a run lawsuit up of then-President Joe Biden astatine the New Hampshire Democratic Party office connected Oct. 22, 2024 successful Concord, New Hampshire. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)
Pappas, successful his motorboat video, highlighted his Granite State roots, his concern inheritance and his grounds connected Capitol Hill.
Pappas, a erstwhile authorities typical and region treasurer who aboriginal served connected New Hampshire's five-member enforcement assembly earlier winning predetermination to Congress successful 2018 — including a re-election triumph successful 2022 implicit now-White House property caput Karoline Leavitt — hails from a household that has owned and operated the famed Puritan Backroom edifice and league halfway for implicit a century.
The restaurant, successful Manchester, for decades has been a must-stop for White House hopefuls campaigning successful New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation statesmanlike primary.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., speaks astatine a argumentation lawsuit connected Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, successful Concord, New Hampshire. Shaheen announced past period that she would not question re-election successful 2026 to a 4th six-year word successful the Senate. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
"I learned astir serving the community, moving our household business, which has been astir for implicit 100 years, each time astatine the restaurant, you request to bring hard enactment and determination to get the occupation done," Pappas highlighted successful his video.
However, Brown took to societal media to instrumentality purpose astatine Pappas, successful a imaginable preview of a imaginable wide predetermination clash.
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".@ChrisPappasNH talks astir being grounded successful ‘New Hampshire values,’ bully luck squaring that rhetoric with his grounds successful Washington D.C. supporting wide unfastened borders, men successful women’s sports and lying to his constituents astir Joe Biden’s senility," Brown charged successful his post.
The Pappas run says the campaigner volition clasp a kick-off lawsuit astatine the Puritan Backroom aboriginal connected Thursday and volition stump crossed the authorities implicit the weekend.
Pappas, who is the archetypal openly cheery antheral to correspond New Hampshire successful Congress, presently serves connected the House Committee connected Veterans Affairs and connected the Transportation and Infrastructure committee.
Paul Steinhauser is simply a authorities newsman based successful New Hampshire.
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