# Chris Pappas **Chris Pappas** is a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire (NH-01, since 2019) and the Democratic front-runner for the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring [[Jeanne Shaheen]]. A former member of the NH Executive Council and a co-owner of his family's Manchester restaurant (the Puritan Backroom), he is the presumptive Democratic nominee. ## 2026 Senate race See [[NH-Sen-2026]] for full race context. The seat is rated Lean Democratic; the primary is September 8, 2026. - **Polling**: Pappas 45, [[John E. Sununu]] 44 (Emerson, March 2026) — a near-perfect tie and, per the race file, "the cleanest Senate battleground of the cycle." - **Fundraising**: ~$3.3M raised, ~$4.2M cash on hand (Q1 2026). He reserved **$9M in general-election TV** beginning September 8 — described as the strongest Democratic pre-commitment in the cycle. - His likely general-election opponent is former U.S. Senator [[John E. Sununu]]. ## Background Won NH-01, one of the nation's swingiest House districts, and held it through multiple cycles. A pragmatic, business-background Democrat with a moderate voting profile suited to New Hampshire's independent-heavy electorate. ## Why he matters for the KB Pappas anchors one of the few genuine toss-up open Senate seats on the 2026 map. His race against a Sununu — the most established Republican brand in New Hampshire — is a marquee test of whether Democrats can hold a Shaheen-era seat in a true swing state. ## Related - [[NH-Sen-2026]] - [[Jeanne Shaheen]] - [[John E. Sununu]]