US midterm elections: Key takeaways from New Hampshire primaries

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkVoters cast their ballots in the primary for midterm elections at Sanbornton Town Hall, New Hampshire, US, September 8, 2026. New Hampshire voters have not elected a Republican senator since 2010, potentially losing a Democratic Senate seat in the November midterms [CJ Gunther/Getty via AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff and APPublished On 9 Sep 20269 Sep 2026Republican John E Sununu and Democrat Chris Pappas have won their primary elections in New Hampshire and will compete for a United States Senate seat that could flip the chamber in November.Former Senator Sununu and House Representative Pappas are battling to replace outgoing Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen. Both candidates were strong frontrunners in their respective races.In the House Republican primaries, Anthony DiLorenzo won in the 1st Congressional District and Lily Tang Williams won the 2nd District without much contest.Tang Williams will face House Representative Maggie Goodlander, who is running for a second term. Shaheen’s daughter, Stefany Shaheen, defeated retired Marine Maura Sullivan in a tight Democratic primary for the 1st District.Republican Kelly Ayotte dominated the state gubernatorial race, defeating two little-known challengers. Former US senator and state attorney general Ayotte is seeking a second two-year term, running against Cinde Warmington, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.Former Vice President Kamala Harris won the state in the 2024 presidential election by a margin of 2.78 percentage points over President Donald Trump.New Hampshire Republican Senate candidate John Sununu, accompanied by his wife Kitty, addresses supporters at his primary election night watch party on September 8, 2026, in Manchester, New Hampshire [CJ Gunther/Getty via AFP]Critical Senate raceWhile New Hampshire has largely elected Republicans for state government and Democrats for Congress, the Grand Old Party views the race as an opportunity to gain a foothold in New England.Democrats hope to retain the seat, as they need a net gain of four seats to retake the Senate currently controlled by Republicans.The second frontrunner in the Democratic primary race, democratic socialist Karishma Manzur, failed to defeat Pappas despite gaining on him in recent weeks. Manzur criticised Pappas for his relationship with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).Sununu defeated seven opponents, including a former state senator from Massachusetts, Scott Brown.“Chris Pappas has three main qualities: ineffective, partisan and out of touch with New Hampshire,” Sununu said at a victory party.Pappas sought to tie Sununu to the increasingly unpopular US President Donald Trump during his campaign. Trump endorsed Sununu, despite the Republican candidate describing him as a “loser” during the 2024 presidential race.“While New Hampshire families are struggling to make ends meet, John Sununu has thrown his lot in with Donald Trump and supports the policies that cater to big corporations and billionaires while they make life harder for Granite Staters,” Pappas said.Tight contest for Democratic House nominationStefany Shaheen won the Democratic nomination for the 1st District and will compete for the seat left open by Pappas.In the 2nd Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Goodlander defeated progressive challenger Paige Beauchemin. Tang Williams won the Republican primary in her third attempt for the seat and was the GOP nominee in the 2024 elections.Meanwhile, political newcomer DiLorenzo defeated three other candidates without much difficulty, having received an endorsement from Trump.Rhode Island primariesVoters across Rhode Island head to the polls tomorrow. Its most closely watched election is the race for governor.Governor Dan McKee, facing voter dissatisfaction and low job approval ratings, is up against challenger Helena Foulkes, who challenged him in the 2022 gubernatorial primary elections. Foulkes has led in polls by double digits for months.Harris won Rhode Island in the 2024 presidential election with a lead of 13.7 percentage points.