All systems are go for U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas to announce his candidacy for U.S. Senate in the 2026 race to succeed retiring longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
It’s expected that Pappas, a Democrat who’s in his fourth two-year term representing New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, will launch a Senate campaign in early April.
Pappas, a former state representative and former executive councilor who hails from a Manchester family that has owned and operated the iconic Puritan Backroom restaurant for over a century, practically kicked off his Senate campaign with a recent listening tour through all ten of New Hampshire’s counties.
“We’re getting out there and having lots of conversations with folks in all corners of the Granite State about what the path forward should look like, and I really trust and value the feedback of this state,” Pappas told the Valley News recently as he kicked off his tour. “After all, I’ve lived here my entire life. I have a small family business here. I’m grounded in the people, places and values of New Hampshire, and I want to do what’s right for our great state and our future.”
Pappas shared that he’d “been approached by folks that very enthusiastically want me to run for Senate, and what I want to do is be proactive and get out there and meet people where they are to see what’s on their minds and to see if running for Senate makes sense.”
While the Granite State’s political world seems certain that a Pappas Senate campaign is a sure thing, there’s been some murming about New Hampshire’s other representative in the U.S. House also running for the Senate.
Democratic Rep. Maggie Goodlander, who won election to Congress last November and succeeded longtime Rep. Annie Kuster in the state’s 2nd Congressional District, is considering a Senate run, according to sources. She’s been holding a series of town hall meetings around the state, some of which have been testy.
While possible, it’s less likely. Here’s why:
Steve Shurtleff, a former longtime state representative from Penacook, N.H., and the last Democrat to serve as speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, shared with the Valley News that plenty of Democrats have told him that “Chris has paid his dues” and that “it’s only right that he should move up.”
“I think those factors are in his favor,” said Shurtleff, a former Concord city councilor and current member of the Merrimack County Board of Commissioners.
But Shurtleff, who supported Goodlander in her Democratic primary victory last year over former executive councilor Colin Van Ostern, emphasized that “a lot of people including myself are impressed with Maggie Goodlander … If she decided to run, I’d support her. I think she’s that good.”
“I almost think that she probably won’t run,” Shurtleff said. “But it’s going to be a tough decision for her.”
A primary contest between Goodlander and Pappas would send one of them home as the loser, which is no small factor.
“I think at its core it’s a very personal decision, so finding that answer first is step one. Congresswoman Goodlander is the only one who knows that timeline,” said Lucas Meyer, a veteran New Hampshire-based political strategist.
“It appears Congressman Pappas has answered that question that he’s ready to run for the Senate,” said Meyer, a former New Hampshire Young Democrats president and co-founder of the public advocacy group 603 Forward. “I have no idea how that impacts Goodlander’s thought process, but I assume it will remain a very personal decision.”
A possible primary between Pappas and Goodlander was on the minds of some state House Republicans last week, as lawmakers voted to move the date of New Hampshire’s state primary from September to June.
While New Hampshire for over a century has held the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, it’s early September state primary is one of the last in the nation.
Last year, New Hampshire, along with Rhode Island and Delaware, held their state primaries on Sept. 10, less than two months before the general election in November.
State Republicans, as well as some Democrats, have argued for years that the late primary benefited incumbents who rarely faced challengers from their own parties.
The bipartisan bill, which passed by a voice vote, would move the primary up from the second Tuesday in September to the second Tuesday in June.
State lawmakers have tried plenty of times — unsuccessfully — in recent years to move up the date of the primary. One reason was opposition from Democrats.
But this year’s legislation had Democrat Rep. Kris Schultz of Concord as a lead sponsor.
“The existing primary is an incumbent protection plan, I couldn’t agree more,” Schultz said during testimony before the House Election Law Committee earlier this year.
But the bill that passed the chamber won’t take effect until 2027, which means the 2026 primaries will continue to be held in September.
The lawmaker behind moving the start date until after the 2026 elections was Republican state Rep. Ross Berry of Weare, the chair of the House Election Law Committee.
Pointing to the possible Senate Democratic nomination primary, Berry told reporters “it’s wise to move this out.”