Congressman Chris Pappas was first elected to represent New Hampshire’s First Congressional District in 2018. He was reelected three times, winning in 2024 with 54% of the vote. Council for a Livable World supported Rep. Pappas in his 2020 reelection. In early 2025, Rep. Pappas announced his candidacy to replace retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D). This will be a competitive election and one that will be critical for Democrats as they seek to maintain and even improve margins in the U.S. Senate beginning in 2027.
Rep. Pappas cleared the primary field but faces multiple formidable opponents on the Republican side. Former New Hampshire Senator John Sununu and former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown are both vying for the Republican nomination. Sununu only announced in late October but already secured the endorsement of multiple sitting Republican Senators.
In the House, Rep. Pappas supported Council positions on a number of occasions throughout his career. This year, he co-sponsored H.R. 3564, the Nuclear First-Strike Security Act of 2025. He favors continued bi- and multilateral arms control, opposes new kinds of nuclear weapons and believes in ensuring our national security priorities adequately meet 21st century challenges.
Before his time in Congress, Rep. Pappas was elected to the New Hampshire House at the age of 22 where he served two terms. He served three terms on the state’s Executive Council before his election to the House of Representatives in 2018. To win this House seat, he survived a 10-person Democratic primary, meaning he is no stranger to difficult races.
