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Candidates › New Hampshire U.S. Senate race › 2025–2026
Chris Pappas
D Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, New Hampshire
Representative since 2019
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- On the ballot
- On the general election ballotNov 3, 2026 · New Hampshire US Senate
- Where to vote
- Find your polling place (opens in a new tab) · More ways to vote
- Top priorities
- Prioritizing Affordability and the Economy
- Anti-Corruption Agenda
- Standing up for Public Education
- Lowering Energy Costs and Protecting the Environment
- Fighting for Equal Rights and LGBTQ+
- In Congress
- Representative since 2019 · votes with their party 93% of the time. See the record · Office phone 202-225-5456
- Money
- $23.7M raised, $22.1M spent, $2M cash on hand (through Oct 14, 2026). Where it comes from
- Who gives
- 34% of individual money from donors at $200 or less · 23% from New Hampshire · largest committee giver DSCC, $62K
- Outside groups
- $1.9M supporting, $20.9M opposing Pappas
- Backed by
- End Citizens United · Planned Parenthood Action Fund · Reproductive Freedom for All and 37 more. As the campaign lists them
- Polling
- 50% in the latest poll (St. Anselm) · leads John Sununu by 7 points on average. The polls
- Sponsored most in
- Armed Forces and National Security, Crime and Law Enforcement, Health
18 priorities from chrispappas.org, in the order they are listed there. Every heading and the text under it is copied exactly, as one passage for each page it is from, and links to that place on the page; hover a source to see which passage it opens.
Granite Staters are working harder than ever just to make ends meet, but far too often it feels like they can never get ahead. Chris is fighting to lower costs for families and small businesses on everything from utilities to groceries and to make high-quality child care, health care, and housing more affordable and within reach for people across New Hampshire.
On the Executive Council, Chris voted to expand Medicaid to bring down health care costs and increase access for tens of thousands of Granite Staters. In Congress, Chris is fighting to restore ACA enhanced premium tax credits, and he forced a vote on legislation to prevent health care costs from skyrocketing. He is also leading the effort to protect Granite Staters from the disastrous Trump tariffs that have created record-high prices and reimburse small businesses for the tens of thousands of dollars they’ve been forced to pay.
Chris took on Big Pharma to allow Medicare to finally negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs, cap the cost of insulin at $35, and limit out-of-pocket costs for seniors. He’s working to make homeownership a reality for more Granite Staters by cutting red tape for communities to build more homes, providing tax cuts to help first-time home buyers, and supporting the financing and development of more affordable housing. Chris is also fighting to restore the expanded Child Tax Credit, a middle-class tax cut that will put more money back in Granite Staters’ pockets to help afford child care, health care, and groceries.
Chris introduced and passed legislation to provide a cost-of-living increase for veterans and military families, fought to reduce backlogs and wait times for care, and helped expand VA health care to millions of veterans suffering from toxic exposure. Chris also voted to invest in domestic energy production and is fighting for tax cuts to help families lower their energy bills.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/affordability-and-the-economy
Public trust in the government has hit historic lows, with just 17% of Americans saying they trust the government to do what’s right for Americans. Chris Pappas knows the system is rigged against people and in favor of corporate special interests, dark money groups, and entrenched politicians. He’s running for Senate because he understands that we need to change the way that Washington works and bring long-overdue reforms to a broken system.
For Chris representing Granite Staters in Congress will always be about public service, not self-service. That means rooting out corruption in Washington by closing the loopholes that allow current and former officials to get rich off their positions. Chris is fighting for a government that puts Granite Staters first and works for everyday Americans — not corporate special interests. Read more about his plan below.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/anti-corruption-agenda
Since the 2010 Citizens United decision, political spending fueled by dark money groups funded by corporations and ultra-rich ideological extremists has exploded. Dark-money spending that undermines our politics surged from less than $5 million in 2006 to more than $1.9 billion in 2024, surpassing the previous record of $1 billion in 2020.
Chris Pappas believes that the only way we can ensure candidates running for office put people first – not corporate PAC money – is by stopping corporate special interests from having an outsized role in our elections.
- Pappas doesn’t take a dime of corporate PAC money.
- He introduced the DISCLOSE Act to stop billionaires and corporate special interests from secretly buying our elections.
- He supports overturning the Citizens United decision to restore power to the people.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/anti-corruption-agenda
Politicians in Washington are gaming the system to get richer while Granite Staters pay more for everything across the board, and the corruption in Washington has spread to all levels of government.
Members of Congress are getting rich through stock trading. A Supreme Court justice has accepted undisclosed gifts from a billionaire. Members of the Trump Administration are getting rich off shady deals with the industries they regulate and with foreign governments, all while Trump and his family have raked in $4 billion since he returned to office, even as the cost of living has increased for hardworking New Hampshire families.
In New Hampshire Chris’s opponent is a classic example of former politicians going through the DC revolving door. John Sununu went to Washington almost thirty years ago and voted to serve the interests of Wall Street, Big Oil, and Big Pharma in the Senate—and then he cashed in, working for those same industries and making millions selling out to corporations while the people of New Hampshire paid the price.
Sununu has seen a “surge in his personal wealth” since leaving office, the bulk of which he acquired by “working for a lobbying law firm in Washington, D.C., and sitting on the boards of large companies.” Now Sununu wants to go back to Washington to sell out New Hampshire to Donald Trump and the same corporate special interests that have lined his pockets for years.
Chris Pappas believes that elected officials should be serving their constituents, not themselves and that it’s time to shut the revolving door on political self-interest in Washington.
- Pappas broke with Democratic House leadership to support a ban on congressional stock trading.
- He supports the No Getting Rich in Congress Act, which would strengthen reporting requirements for lobbying to ensure members of Congress and their spouses aren’t engaging in shadow lobbying.
- He believes that ethics reforms must also extend to the Supreme Court, and the DISCLOSE Act would strengthen regulations on dark money and require organizations that spend on elections and judicial nominations to disclose their donors.
- Pappas introduced the bipartisan Clean Legislating and Ethical Accountability Now (CLEAN) Act to codify the Office of Congressional Ethics, now called the Office of Congressional Conduct, the only independent internal watchdog that probes ethical breaches in Congress.
- He supports the Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026, which bans members of Congress and government employees from trading on political prediction markets when they have or could easily get inside information through their jobs.
- He backed the Fighting Foreign Influence Act, which would impose a lifetime ban on former members of Congress, U.S. military officers, and senior executive branch officials from lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/anti-corruption-agenda
When a new president takes office, their first priority should be delivering on promises made to working Americans, not delivering handouts to wealthy donors and powerful allies. Presidents shouldn’t be able to deliver no-bid contracts to donors, reward big corporations for pet project funding through quid-pro-quo deals, or use insider info to cash in on under-regulated prediction markets.
For the Trump Administration, reports show these actions are the new normal. Some of Trump’s wealthiest donors hold senior positions within his administration. Trump has granted clemency to more than 70 donors, allies, and other people convicted of fraud — including one pardoned after his family allegedly donated $3.5 million to a Trump super PAC. And the Trump Administration has awarded lucrative contracts to politically-connected companies, firms, and major MAGA donors like Elon Musk.
At the same time, an onslaught of suspicious trading has occurred around multiple consequential actions taken by the Trump Administration. While Granite Staters are paying more for gas and groceries because of Trump’s war with Iran, well-connected individuals appear to be cashing in while Trump insiders like Donald Trump Jr. serve in senior roles at Kalshi and Polymarket.
Chris Pappas believes that it is essential for Congress to start cracking down on the Trump Administration’s pay-to-play practices, and it’s time to start looking at common-sense ways to ensure prediction markets aren’t a vehicle for insider trading.
- Pappas supports the Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026, which bans government insiders from trading on political prediction markets when they have or could easily get inside information through their jobs.
- He is working to help pass the No Getting Rich in Congress Act, which would strengthen lobbying reporting requirements to ensure the President, Vice President, and their spouses aren’t engaging in shadow lobbying.
- He is also calling on Congress to subpoena leading prediction markets to determine if insider trading is occurring on the betting platforms.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/anti-corruption-agenda
Chris wouldn’t be who he is today without the education he received in Manchester public schools or the mentorship and support from dedicated educators in and out of the classroom. That is why he is committed to investing in our schools, supporting our teachers, and ensuring that every student can get a high-quality education to set them on a path to success.
New Hampshire college graduates have some of the highest student loan debt burdens in the nation. Chris supports increasing access to Pell grants, affordable community college, and debt forgiveness for students who enter high-demand careers like nursing. Chris fought to secure federal funding to expand Nashua Community College’s workforce development program and provide support for nursing students who commit to careers in rural and underserved communities.
Chris knows that there are multiple pathways to success, whether that is pursuing post-secondary education, apprenticeships, or other vocational programs. He has pushed to strengthen career training and apprenticeship programs, cut red tape to allow veterans to use their VA benefits to access training in critical-need industries like trucking, and create a one-stop shop to share apprenticeship information to better meet the needs of employers and students.
Chris led the fight to restore $27 million in federal education funds for New Hampshire withheld by the Trump Administration. He has stood firm against ongoing efforts in Washington to dismantle public education and prevent federal resources from getting to our students, teachers, and communities. He continues to lead efforts to restore funding gutted by the Trump Administration for critical programs in New Hampshire to help lower-income and first-generation students afford higher education and pursue degrees in critical-need fields.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/education
New Hampshire’s mountains, lakes, beaches, and forests are part of our way of life and drive our economy. Chris is fighting to protect our natural environment, address the existential threat of climate change, and invest in lower-cost, clean energy solutions.
Chris supports an all-of-the-above energy strategy to meet the needs of Granite Staters, lower costs, and ensure America can become truly energy independent. That is why he secured federal funding to bolster clean energy in New Hampshire, build out EV charging infrastructure, and help families weatherize their homes and invest in alternative energies that keep their costs down.
Chris passed the largest climate change legislation in history, the Inflation Reduction Act, and championed vital climate resilience funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law so communities in New Hampshire can withstand catastrophic weather events and rebuild their homes, businesses, and infrastructure. To safeguard New Hampshire’s outdoors for future generations, Chris came together with Republicans to help pass the Great American Outdoors Act, the most significant nature conservation legislation in decades.
Chris has fought to ensure communities have safe, clean water, including making historic investments to replace lead pipes. He has led the charge in Congress to address PFAS contamination and wrote legislation to protect communities from these “forever chemicals,” take on corporate polluters, and establish stronger national safety standards.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/energy-and-environment
No one should be discriminated against for who they love or choose to marry. Throughout his career, Chris has been a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ equality.
As Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Chris introduced legislation to finally guarantee full equality under the law for LGBTQ+ individuals in areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, and more. He introduced the SERVE Act to restore and protect VA benefits for LGBTQ+ veterans discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and he is fighting back against the Trump Administration to restore the LGBTQ+ subline of the 988 crisis support hotline.
Chris is leading the fight to put an end to the discriminatory “panic” defenses based on sexual orientation or gender identity in federal courts. As more fundamental rights came under threat, Chris helped introduce and fought to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which was signed into law in 2022 to ensure federal protections for marriage equality, even if the Supreme Court reverses the precedent set by United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges.
In 2018 Chris made history as the first out gay person to represent New Hampshire in Congress. In 2026 he’s ready to make history again as the first out gay man to serve in the United States Senate.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/equal-rights-lgbtq
Today American leadership on the world stage is a non-negotiable, and Chris is fighting to ensure that we never shrink from our responsibilities as a global force for good. In Congress Chris has worked to safeguard American interests and values across the globe, support our allies, and protect democracy from the rising influence of authoritarian regimes like Russia, Iran, and China.
Following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Chris stood with the people of Ukraine against Putin’s aggression, supported bipartisan funding to help Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty, and called for crippling sanctions on Russia to weaken that regime.
After the deadly Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023, Chris reaffirmed America’s ironclad commitment to protecting Israel’s right to exist. He has supported bipartisan security assistance for Israel to defend itself and has voted for more than $9 billion in life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza. Chris has consistently called for a ceasefire that ensures the return of all hostages, the destruction of Hamas, and the unfettered flow of humanitarian support. Chris supports a two-state solution that provides full security for Israel and safety and self-determination for the Palestinian people.
In Congress, Chris has also worked to safeguard American interests by bolstering American manufacturing and domestic energy production, which is not just critical for our economic well-being, but also an essential national security priority. He fought to pass the CHIPS and Science Act, which will onshore semiconductor production, help us outcompete China, and create jobs right here in New Hampshire. Chris is also working to jumpstart American energy independence and voted for the largest-ever investment in cleaner, cheaper homegrown energy. He is also leading efforts to protect critical American infrastructure from foreign purchase and influence.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/foreign-policy
Chris believes that health care for all Granite Staters should be a right, not a privilege. But far too many families are being forced to choose between affording their prescription drugs or other medical care and putting food on the table or making rent. That is why Chris has fought throughout his career to lower costs and increase access to quality, affordable health care.
While serving on the New Hampshire Executive Council, Chris voted to expand Medicaid to over 50,000 people, increasing access to affordable health care and expanding addiction and recovery treatment for Granite Staters. In Congress Chris is committed to protecting and strengthening the Affordable Care Act, expanding rural health care access, and strengthening our nursing and health care workforce.
Chris fiercely opposed the reckless Republican budget, which enacted the largest cut to health care in American history, closed hospitals, and threatened $500 billion in cuts to Medicare. He is working across the aisle to restore ACA enhanced premium tax credits and bring down health care costs that have skyrocketed by double or more.
Chris took on Big Pharma and passed landmark legislation that finally allowed Medicare to negotiate for lower prices, capped the cost of insulin at $35, and limited out-of-pocket costs for seniors. He also wrote bipartisan legislation to remove barriers and make it easier for seniors and low-income Granite Staters to access affordable prescription medications.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/health-care
New Hampshire’s housing challenges have reached a crisis point. Average home prices are now over half a million dollars and rising; there are not nearly enough vacant rentals to meet demand, and we will soon be 90,000 housing units short if we fail to act. That is why Chris is fighting to tackle the housing crisis, lower costs for Granite Staters, and put homeownership back within reach for everyone.
Chris is working to make homeownership a reality for more Granite Staters by cutting red tape for communities to build more homes, providing tax cuts to help first-time home buyers, and supporting the financing and development of affordable housing. Chris is also fighting to restore the expanded Child Tax Credit, a middle-class tax cut that will put more money back in Granite Staters’ pockets to help them afford rent, their mortgage, and everyday necessities.
In the U.S. Senate, Chris will continue to prioritize making housing more accessible and affordable, streamlining bureaucracy and incentivizing more construction, and bringing together private and public sector leaders to develop solutions that meet the needs of communities in every corner of our state.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/housing
As the great-grandson of immigrants, Chris understands that legal immigration helps make our nation stronger. Immigrants enrich our communities, grow our economy, and are vital to the future of this country. But for far too long, politicians in both parties have kicked the can, played politics, and failed to take meaningful action to reform our immigration system and secure our borders.
Chris supports comprehensive, common-sense immigration reform that will help fix our broken system and allow immigrants who work hard and follow the rules get a shot at their American dream. It must also address security on our border by enhancing infrastructure and technology to keep our country safe. Chris helped pass legislation to support and strengthen protections for millions DREAMERs who know no other home but the United States.
After New Hampshire was left in the dark by the Trump Administration, Chris joined local leaders and citizens to successfully block an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in the town of Merrimack and introduced legislation to preserve local control before any new facility is constructed. Chris believes that ICE must focus on their core mission: ensuring that individuals who are here illegally, who are violent, and breaking our laws are deported. Under this administration ICE is out of control and far beyond ICE’s intended role, conducting operations that are actually making our country less safe. American citizens and taxpayers deserve accountable government and commonsense guardrails for ICE. That is why Chris wrote the bill to redirect ICE’s $75 billion slush fund to local law enforcement to improve public safety.
Chris helped introduce the Comprehensive Southern Border Strategy Act, which would create a strategy to secure our Southern border. He has supported legislation to increase enforcement on individuals who cross the border illegally and commit serious crimes, enhance coordination between state and local officials on the southern border, and fund 22,000 border patrol agents, including 150 counter-fentanyl officers. Chris led the successful effort to better coordinate resources and strengthen security along New Hampshire’s northern border.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/immigration
Working people and organized labor built this country and created the greatest middle class the world has ever seen. But we know that for far too long, political and economic power has been tilted towards billionaires and giant corporations, instead of working families. Chris proudly stands with labor and working people across New Hampshire.
In Congress Chris is committed to ensuring that working people have a seat at the table and their voices are heard. He helped introduce and fought to pass the PRO Act in the House, which would protect collective bargaining and hold corporations accountable for violating those rights. When the Trump Administration stripped union rights from one million federal workers, Chris got to work, introducing bipartisan legislation and forcing a vote to restore those fundamental rights.
Chris is working to create a 21st-century workforce and supports efforts to expand job training and apprenticeships. He also passed a bipartisan bill through the House to cut red tape and let veterans more easily access training in critical-need industries like trucking.
In the U.S Senate, Chris will continue to lead the fight to protect workers’ rights, strengthen the middle class, and secure safer working conditions, higher wages, and better benefits.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/labor
New Hampshire is one of the safest states in the country, thanks to our dedicated law enforcement officers. To ensure our communities remain secure and that we take on the real challenges we face, Chris has supported and funded our law enforcement and first responders. He has also worked to return significant federal resources to the Granite State to keep our friends, families, and neighborhoods healthy and safe.
Chris has worked across the aisle to secure critical public safety funding and resources. He voted for millions in federal funds to hire and retain police officers and first responders and helped communities acquire modern firefighting safety equipment. He also secured direct support for local departments to procure new communications technology and gunshot detection systems, build modern emergency operations centers, and upgrade dashboard and body cameras.
Chris appreciates the job that our law enforcement officers do every day at the local, state, and federal levels and believes ICE should enforce our laws professionally. However it is clear that the federal government cannot continue to operate in a way that impedes local law enforcement, erodes trust, and puts communities at risk. Chris has introduced legislation to redirect ICE’s $75 billion slush fund to local law enforcement to improve public safety.
Chris introduced legislation to fund training and accreditation for local police departments to maintain high professional standards, implement best practices, and strengthen community relations. After listening to local chiefs and community leaders, Chris wrote the bill to invest in and upgrade the physical infrastructure for police, EMS, and fire departments without passing those costs on to local taxpayers.
After years of advocacy, Chris’s legislation to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs was signed into law to help get deadly drugs off our streets and bring traffickers to justice. Chris has fought for increased funding to provide lifesaving substance misuse treatment, address homelessness, and expand access to mental health resources.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/law-enforcement
The opioid and addiction crisis has touched far too many New Hampshire families. That is why Chris is committed to providing every available resource to help law enforcement keep deadly drugs like fentanyl off our streets and ensure Granite Staters suffering from addiction get the care and treatment they need.
On the New Hampshire Executive Council, Chris voted to expand Medicaid, one of the most important tools in the fight against the opioid and substance use epidemic. In Congress Chris secured federal funding to bolster treatment and mental health care across New Hampshire, is fighting to restore the Trump Administration cuts to state addiction treatment programs, and fiercely opposed the Republican budget plan that slashed Medicaid.
Chris successfully led the bipartisan effort to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs to allow law enforcement to get deadly drugs off the streets and bring traffickers to justice. He has also supported legislation to step up enforcement of fentanyl sold on the dark web, crack down on precursor chemicals from China, and install fentanyl scanners at border crossings.
source ↗ (opens the page at this passage) · chrispappas.org/priority/prioritizing-public-safety