This page requires JavaScript to display.

New Hampshire Senate race

News · Heat 9.9 / 10 · 5 shows · 25m airtime

Jeanne Shaheen announced her retirement on September 29, setting up a New Hampshire Senate race between Democratic congressman Chris Pappas and Republican John Sununu, son of the former governor. A New York Times/Siena poll has Sununu trailing Pappas by about five points, while an earlier fall poll had Sununu ahead. A correspondent's reporting puts Pappas ahead by roughly six to seven points, and Cook rates the race lean Democrat with Pappas up mid to high single digits. The discussion turns on that swing and on whether the Sununu name keeps the contest closer than the current numbers suggest.

How 5 podcasts covered it

  1. What Next, 2026-09-29 (22:10 to 27:19)
    Previews Pappas versus Sununu in New Hampshire
    Turns to the New Hampshire Senate race for the first time: Pappas versus Sununu for Jeanne Shaheen's open seat, the dynasty question around the Sununu name, and a prediction that Pappas wins.
    New angle: The New Hampshire Senate race pits Chris Pappas against John Sununu for Jeanne Shaheen's open seat.
  2. The Daily, 2026-10-28 (14:57 to 20:21)
    Adds a Times/Siena poll showing Sununu behind
    Profiles Sununu's distance-from-Trump closing ad and puts a new Times/Siena poll on the record: Sununu trailing Pappas by about five points, after an earlier fall poll had him ahead by a couple. Frames it against New Hampshire's Democratic margins since 2010.
    New angle: A New York Times/Siena poll has Sununu trailing Pappas by about five points; an earlier fall poll had Sununu ahead.
  3. The Rest Is Politics: US, 2026-10-28 (21:30 to 23:36)
    Answers a listener on New Hampshire's basics
    Answers a listener question on blue states at risk by naming New Hampshire, then stays inside the race's basics: Sununu's name recognition, his popularity as a former senator, and the state's libertarian lean. No new polling or reporting.
  4. The Intelligence from The Economist, 2026-10-30 (12:05 to 20:53)
    Reports from a Pappas rally in Exeter
    Reports from a Pappas rally in Exeter and puts the New Hampshire Senate race at six to seven points for Pappas, a wider margin than the Times/Siena poll on the record, and frames it as a race Democrats are still spending big to win.
    New angle: A correspondent's reporting has Pappas ahead of Sununu by about six to seven points.
  5. The Megyn Kelly Show, 2026-10-30 (34:06 to 37:39)
    Runs Cook's New Hampshire closing rating
    Runs through Cook's closing ratings state by state, starting with New Hampshire: Pappas up mid to high single digits and the race rated lean Democrat, with Kelly predicting the seat holds despite Republican hopes for the Sununu name.
    New angle: Cook rates the New Hampshire Senate race lean Democrat, with Pappas up mid to high single digits.
Unpacking...