The Democratic field in New Hampshire’s closely-watched 1st Congressional District race shrank in the campaign's waning hours, as Christian Urrutia dropped out of the race Sunday and threw his support behind former rival Stefany Shaheen.
In the crowded primary field, Urrutia — a member of the National Guard and former director for AirBnB — had struggled to gain momentum, never registering beyond single digits in polls. He had campaigned as a progressive and previously challenged Shaheen on her commitment to liberal causes.
On Sunday, though, during a joint appearance in Merrimack, Urrutia said he now sees the Democratic primary as a choice between Shaheen and Maura Sullivan. Urrutia said he’s become convinced that Shaheen will fight for Medicare for All and against the growth of data centers, and will “stand on the right side of history and morality and say ‘enough’ to [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu."
Shaheen praised Urrutia for extending what she called “his momentous support,” and said she’d learned from what he’d brought to the race.
“We share a bold vision for the change this country needs,” Shaheen said.
Urrutia also told reporters that his support for Shaheen over Sullivan was about more than simply policy stances.
“One of the most key characteristics for a leader is to be frank and honest with the voters, Stefany does that; the other choice doesn’t,” Urrutia said.
Shaheen, a former Portsmouth city councilor and daughter of retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, has been running several points behind Sullivan in recent polls. Sullivan, a Marine Corps veteran who has out-fundraised the crowded field, finished second in the 2016 Democratic primary for this same congressional seat.
“This race is about change versus more of the same,” Sullivan said during a canvassing kick off event at her Portsmouth headquarters Sunday. She dismissed Urrutia’s endorsement as not mattering “one bit” and said she offers voters the best alternative to dynastic politics.
“We've been the underdog this entire race,” said Sullivan. “I don't come from a political family. I was a scholarship kid who waited tables to get through college.”
On Saturday, Shaheen was also endorsed by former Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, who represented the 1st District for four terms. Shea-Porter has been an icon for many Granite State progressives over the past two decades, since she first won office in 2006 as a little-known activist-turned-candidate. She has largely stayed out of statewide politics since leaving office, but said she was backing Shaheen given the stakes of this year’s race.
“There are several great progressive candidates, but the polls show this is a two-person race and after weighing all factors, I am endorsing Stefany Shaheen,” Shea-Porter said. “Stefany will be a fierce, effective and compassionate voice for New Hampshire at this critical moment.”
In the final weeks of the race, many other progressives in the district are aligning behind Carleigh Beriont, chair of Hampton’s selectboard. As she walked Elm Street in Manchester on Saturday during the “Cruisin Downtown” auto show, Beriont said her campaign was busy knocking on doors across the district, seeing support for her agenda, which includes Medicare For All, new federal investment in housing, and using anti-monopoly laws to rein in big tech firms.
‘Right now there is so much negativity, and it’s like, ‘no, let’s focus on what we want for this country and our neighbors,’ ” Beriont said. “Let’s try to get that,”
