The field of candidates in the race for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District continues to grow.
Democrat Sarah Chadzynski, a former teacher from Lyndeborough with a background in international non-profit work, is the latest to jump into the race. She launched her bid Tuesday outside the Strafford County Jail, the lone site in New Hampshire where ICE detainees are held.
Chadzynski, who serves as a director of the American Coalition for Ukraine, described her nascent campaign as a “movement” informed by the recent “No Kings” protests.
“This is not about Republican or Democrat; this is about basic human rights, which is something that is being stripped systematically from our nation right under our nose,” Chadzynski said as she stood before a razor-wire topped fence.
Chadzynski, who ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the New Hampshire House last year, joins an already-crowded field of Democrats running in the 1st District, including Maura Sullivan, vice chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party; Stefany Shaheen, former Portsmouth City Councilor and daughter of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen; Hampton selectboard member Carleigh Beriont, who teaches at Harvard; and AirBnb executive Christian Urrutia, who worked at the Pentagon under the Biden Administration.
The race for the 1st District is wide-open, after four-term U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas decided to run for the U.S. Senate seat that Jeanne Shaheen will retire from next year.
Two Republicans have so far announced in the 1st District: Chris Bright, a businessman and veteran who ran in the 2024 GOP primary and placed fourth; and Melissa Bailey, who is vice chair of the Bedford Republican committee.
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