New Hampshire Senate race set between Chris Pappas and John Sununu after projected primary wins

September 8, 2026 / 8:05 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — Former GOP Sen. John Sununu and Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas will face off in November after winning their primaries for U.S. Senate on Tuesday night, CBS News projects.

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's decision not to seek reelection kickstarted the competitive race for an open seat in the Granite State, which could be key to determining which party controls the Senate. As her successor, Shaheen endorsed Pappas, who is one of the state's two representatives in the House. But Pappas faces a formidable opponent in a Republican with widespread name recognition in the state, hailing from a political family that's spent decades in its leadership.

Sununu, 61, represented New Hampshire in the House and Senate for more than a decade, before he was ousted by Shaheen. The son of former Gov. John H. Sununu and brother of former Gov. Chris Sununu, his name carries significant weight in New Hampshire. In the GOP primary on Tuesday, he defeated former Sen. Scott Brown, who represented Massachusetts in the Senate from 2010 to 2013.

Pappas, 46, has represented New Hampshire in the House since 2019, where he's a member of the bipartisan…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/