Republicans were hoping to flip this New Hampshire Senate seat – will Trump get in the way?

New Hampshire's open Senate seat, vacated by retiring Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, has become a late source of worry for Democrats, who need to pick up four seats to retake the chamber and cannot afford to lose one they hold. Polls in September showed Democratic Representative Chris Pappas essentially even with Republican John Sununu, a former senator. Pappas has since regained a slim edge in most surveys, and the Cook Political Report now rates the contest "lean Democrat" rather than a toss-up, according to The Guardian.

Pappas is campaigning mainly on linking Sununu to President Donald Trump, whose approval in the state stands at 32%, according to a University of New Hampshire poll. Democrats also point to higher gasoline and heating-oil prices tied to the war with Iran; over a third of state households heat with oil. Sununu counters that he is independent, citing his opposition to Trump's trade war with Canada and his 2024 backing of Nikki Haley. In a debate, Pappas said Sununu first supported the Iran strikes, while Sununu said he has always opposed ground troops. An anonymous Republican strategist said it is hard to explain why voters should send Trump another senator.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →