Sununu, Pappas Win New Hampshire Primaries

Former US Sen. John E. Sununu won New Hampshire's Republican primary Tuesday for the open seat he lost 18 years ago. Sununu defeated another former senator, Scott Brown, and six other candidates to advance to the general election, the AP reports. He hopes to replace US Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat who ousted him in 2008 and is retiring after three terms. He will face Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas in November. Pappas, whose departure from his 1st Congressional District seat in turn attracted a crowd of candidates, defeated four candidates in the Democratic primary for the open Senate seat.

• Sununu, who also served three terms in the House, was endorsed by President Trump even after calling him "a loser" during the 2024 presidential campaign. He had the backing of the GOP establishment in a state Republicans view as a key opportunity to flip a seat in their attempt to retain control of the Senate.
• Brown, who previously represented Massachusetts and unsuccessfully challenged Shaheen in 2014, accused Sununu of coasting on his name. Sununu's father and younger brother are former governors.
• Pappas, who is giving up his House seat after four terms, raised twice as much money as Sununu and Brown combined and dwarfed his Democratic primary opponents, as well. He also enjoyed a wide lead in polls, though recently lost some ground to scientist and democratic socialist Karishma Manzur.
• Shaheen's daughter, Stefany Shaheen, was among those seeking the Democratic nomination in a close race for Pappas' seat, along with former candidate Maura Sullivan, who lost to Pappas in an 11-candidate primary in his first congressional bid in 2018.

• Sununu, who spent six years in the US House and one term in the Senate before being ousted by Shaheen in 2008, has this time focused on themes including affordability for housing, healthcare, and energy, holding Congress accountable, and constituent service. A recent poll found him leading by a point in the purple state.
• "I've been out of politics for 17 years. I'm not worried about reelection," he said during a campaign stop last month. "I don't need an appointment or a job. I don't need to make anyone happy. I need to do one thing: Stand up for the people of New Hampshire."