Democrat Heath Howard is suspending his campaign for Congress, narrowing the primary field in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District.
Howard, who served two terms as a state representative from Strafford, was running as a progressive in the crowded primary race. He had the backing of a local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, and centered his pitch to voters on support for universal health care and economic justice.
Howard raised around $80,000 for his campaign, far short of his competitors, and failed to gain traction in recent polling.
In his announcement Monday, the 26-year-old Howard said he was throwing his support behind Carleigh Beriont, the current chair of the Hampton Selectboard, and another Democrat in the 1st District primary race.
“Carleigh and I don’t agree on everything,” he said, “but this race is bigger than both of us.”
In his statement, Howard encouraged other progressive candidates in the field to also drop out to avoid vote splitting. He labeled Maura Sullivan, a Marine Corps veteran, and Stefany Shaheen, a former Portsmouth city counselor, as “establishment” candidates in the primary.
In a recent poll from Saint Anselm College, Sullivan and Shaheen were running well above the other candidates, with Beriont in third. Nearly a quarter of voters in the poll said they were still undecided. Christian Urrutia and Sarah Chadzynski, who are also running as progressives, have both failed to gain traction in polling.
Democrats are looking to maintain their hold on the district, which stretches from Manchester to the Seacoast. Four-term incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas is not seeking re-election, instead opting to run for the U.S. Senate seat.
