There is another candidate running in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District. Republican State Rep. Brian Cole of Manchester officially kicked off his candidacy Monday at the McIntyre Ski Area. Cole is the third Republican to join the open-seat race that’s drawn bipartisan candidate interest.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, America’s officially back,” Cole said in a video launching his candidacy. “But if we want to keep it that way, we need allies in Washington who won’t fold under pressure, who will stand up and fight alongside him. New Hampshire needs a representative who puts family, faith, and freedom first. That’s why I’m running.”
Cole, who is serving his second term in the state Legislature, sits on the House Commerce Committee. He is the former chairman of the Manchester Republican Committee, and runs JC International, a Manchester-based wholesaler.
The race for the state’s 1st Congressional District is seen as wide open in 2026. It’s a seat that Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas has held for four terms, but with Pappas seeking the U.S. Senate seat that will be left vacant by the retirement of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen next year, candidates of all stripes are lining up.
Cole joins a GOP primary field that includes Derry businessman and veteran Chris Bright, who placed fourth in the district’s 2024 Republican primary, and Melissa Bailey, a former CPA who is vice-chair of the Bedford Republican Committee.
Democrats who are now running in the 1st District include Strafford State Rep. Heath Howard; non-profit director Sarah Chadzynski of Lyndeborough; Maura Sullivan, vice chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party; former Portsmouth city councilor Stefany Shaheen; Hampton selectboard member Carleigh Beriont; and Christian Urrutia, an Airbnb executive and National Guard member who lives in Moultonborough.
