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On Sept. 8, Granite Staters will head to the polls to decide who will appear on the general election ballot in November. So every day this week, we're breaking down the biggest primary races.
We didn’t save the best for last, but we did save the buzziest. We’re closing out our primary primer series with the race for Senate. U.S. senators serve six-year terms; here’s an overview of their duties.
The Big Picture
This race has some big implications. The situation here is similar to New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District — this seat has been blue since Sen. Jeanne Shaheen took office in 2009. But with her impending retirement, Republicans are hoping to flip it, which makes the race important on a national scale as both parties fight for control of Congress. While recent polling shows a clear frontrunner on the GOP side, the Democratic side is becoming increasingly competitive.
To help you get to know each candidate . . . we’ve compiled their campaign websites, Citizens Count profiles, and (where available) video interviews with WMUR or other outlets. Later this fall, NHPR will host our own candidate forums with the winners of each primary.
The state of the race: Democrats
For the Democrats: An establishment figure vs. a progressive underdog. Until recently, Rep. Chris Pappas’ nomination for this race seemed like a sure thing — after all, of his last dozen bids for office, he’s only lost once. But in recent weeks, first-time candidate Karishma Manzur has quickly closed the gap, attacking Pappas’ “big money” campaign and backing by pro-Israel donors. Her momentum comes as progressive candidates across the country are successfully upending establishment Democrats, and raises the question of just how close the margin will be Tuesday.
Want to see how they stack up? Pappas and Manzur will go head-to-head at the WMUR primary debate Friday night.
Check out the candidates’ campaign websites, interviews with NHPR and Manchester Public TV, and Citizens Count profiles:
- David Jarvis: details
- Karishma Manzur: interview, details
- Chris Pappas: interview, details
- Maxwell L. Saal: interview, details
- John Vail: details
The state of the race: Republicans
On the Republican side: A tale of two former senators. John E. Sununu and Scott Brown appear similar: They’re both former senators with traditionally conservative voting records who are willing to occasionally split from their party — including President Trump. But the two have some notable differences, from substance to style. Brown, the frontman of an 80s rock band, is casting himself as a down-to-earth guy. Sununu, the son of former Gov. John H. Sununu and an older brother to former Gov. Chris Sununu, is more buttoned-down. The latest polling shows Sununu with a sizable lead over Brown, in part thanks to President Trump’s endorsement.
Check out the candidates’ campaign websites, interviews with NHPR and Manchester Public TV (where available), and Citizens Count profiles:
- Tom Alciere: interview, details
- Sabrina Ann Smith: interview, details
- Scott P. Brown: interview, details
- Sky Danley: details
- Richard A. McMenamon II: details
- Andy Martin: details
- Mary Maxwell: interview, details
- John E. Sununu: interview, details
Go deeper
Hear them for yourself: NHPR interviewed the top candidates from each party: Sununu, Brown, Pappas, Manzur.
Curious about other races? Here are our primers on CD1, CD2, and Governor.
Wanna follow the money? Explore all of the fundraising reports.
Not sure what you need to bring to the polls? We’ve got you covered.
