Establishment candidate Pappas wins New Hampshire Democratic nomination to US Senate

US Rep. Chris Pappas swiftly defeats progressive opponent Karishma Manzur in a Democratic Senate primary in New Hampshire, capping off one of several races in which criticism of Israel and AIPAC became prominent talking points.

The Associated Press called the race just an hour after polls closed, at 6 p.m., when 22% of the votes had been counted. As the night wore on, with 83% of the votes tallied, Pappas accrued 64.9% of the votes to Mazur’s 32.8%.

“Today, the voters of New Hampshire have sent a clear message: they’re fed up with what’s happening in our politics, and they’re ready for change,” Pappas tells supporters. “We’ve got to turn the page on Donald Trump’s reckless leadership, on corruption, on the rigged economy.”

Having secured the Democratic nomination, Pappas is seeking to fill the seat of three-term Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who is not seeking reelection this year. As he and Manzur spoke to the press during the final weeks of the campaign, their messaging often included condemnations of Israeli leadership.

Israel featured heavily in the race, with both Pappas and Manzur attacking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pappas, however, supports Israel’s right to security and condemned the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, whereas Manzur questioned whether Israel was defending itself when responding to the attack.

“If you look at October 7 as the starting point, then you might say Israel is defending itself,” Manzur said. “But you should actually look at the 100 years of war between the two people.”

New Hampshire Democrats choose Pappas, a four-term congressman, as their Senate nominee at a time when their party is hoping to take control of both houses of Congress. Their selection of Pappas, seen as the establishment candidate, could play a pivotal role in November, in a swing state where many voters still split tickets.

Pappas will face former senator John Sununu, a Republican who received US President Donald Trump’s endorsement, in the general election. Sununu served one term in the Senate, from 2003 to 2009, immediately following three terms in the US House.