Gay U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas announces Senate bid

Chris Pappas, a gay man representing New Hampshire’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House, has announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat fellow Democrat Jeanne Shaheen plans to vacate. He would be the first out gay man in the Senate; there have already been lesbians and bisexual women in the chamber.

“I’m running for Senate because our economy, our democracy, and our way of life are on the line, and New Hampshire deserves a senator who is grounded in the people, places, and values of this state,” Pappas said in a video posted to social media Thursday.

“There are special interests and big corporations that have an outsized influence in our political system,” he continued. His constituents feel the system is rigged against them. He condemned the cutting of federal government services in order to give tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk and noted he has worked to lower consumer prices, fought to stop polluters, and stood up to “extremists who want to take our rights away.” He emphasized his New Hampshire roots and experience running his family’s restaurant in Manchester, the state’s largest city.

“Like Sen. Shaheen, I’ll always put New Hampshire first,” he said. “You can count on me to lead the charge to confront this administration, self-dealing billionaires, and extreme politicians who threaten our future and our ability to get things done for New Hampshire.”

Pappas became the first out member of the LGBTQ+ community to represent New Hampshire in Congress when he was elected to the U.S. House in 2018. Before that, he held state and county offices.

He has perfect 100 scores on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard for his three House terms, but last year he was the only LGBTQ+ member of Congress to vote for the National Defense Authorization Act, which barred Tricare, the health insurance program for military members and their dependents, from covering gender-affirming care for transgender minors. His vote was not necessary for the bill to pass.

Defending his vote, he said he opposed that provision in the bill, which many LGBTQ+ and allied Congress members tried to strip from it, but he ultimately supported the bill overall, and President Joe Biden signed it into law. “This is a significant bill that provides for our national defense, gives our junior enlisted service members a 14.5 [percent] raise, invests in military housing, and provides key support for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in my district,” Pappas said at the time. “My vote reflects my support for those priorities that are essential for my district and our national defense.”

Shaheen announced in March that she would not run for reelection in 2026. She has served three terms in the Senate and is a previous governor of New Hampshire.

Another New Hampshire Democrat, Maggie Goodlander, has said she may seek the Senate seat, TV station WMUR reports. She is in her first term representing the state’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House.

Republicans considering a run include former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and former U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand Scott Brown. Brown, who served a partial term as a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, from 2010 to 2013, has moved to New Hampshire. He tried for a Senate seat from New Hampshire in 2014 but lost to Shaheen.

Republicans immediately attacked Pappas. “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,” said a statement from National Republican Senatorial Committee Regional Press Secretary Nick Puglia. “Pappas is extremely out of touch, and New Hampshire families deserve better.”

By “biological males,” Puglia means trans women and girls. And in 2023, Pappas voted against a bill that would block California from ending sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. It passed the House but not the Senate. Pappas supports renewable energy, but in 2023 he declined to say if he supported a ban on gas-powered vehicles in New Hampshire, and he does not appear to have called for a nationwide ban.

The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, which backs qualified out candidates for office, quickly endorsed Pappas. “Rep. Chris Pappas has a long and storied history of serving New Hampshire, and LGBTQ+ Victory Fund has been right by his side since he ran for state office 23 years ago, said a statement from Victory Fund President and CEO Evan Low. He has a track record of taking on big fights for his constituents and has proven that he can win tough races, outperform expectations, and flip key Granite State seats. Whether it's strengthening the economy, protecting bodily autonomy or taking on price gougers, Chris will continue to be an important voice that looks out for the people of New Hampshire.

“We need Chris’ pro-equality voice in the Senate, where right now we only have one LGBTQ+ member. He will be a strong fighter against anti-equality forces in the current administration and extreme politicians looking to erase our rights and existence.

“His presence in the Senate will be critical to retake the majority and ensure that Granite State voters won’t get a raw deal. Chris deeply understands New Hampshire, and his record shows that he is laser-focused on getting things done. We are thrilled to endorse Chris Pappas for a history-making place.”