4 minPolitics
Sununu Turns Anti-Incumbent Playbook on Pappas in New Hampshire Senate Race
Former Sen. John E. Sununu is accusing Rep. Chris Pappas of failing to deliver for New Hampshire after eight years in Washington, as nonpartisan handicappers move the race to toss-up.
Former Sen. John E. Sununu is turning the Democrats' anti-incumbent playbook against his rival in New Hampshire's Senate race, charging that Rep. Chris Pappas has been in Washington for eight years without delivering results for the state.
Sununu, the Republican nominee seeking to return to Capitol Hill after 18 years away, made the accusation in an exclusive interview as he and Pappas compete for the seat held by retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. The contest is one of roughly a dozen that will determine whether Republicans keep control of the Senate.
«He has attempted very little in Congress. He's accomplished even less,» Sununu said, describing Pappas, a four-term congressman, as ineffective. Sununu pointed specifically to Pappas's tenure on the Transportation Committee, claiming New Hampshire is «dead last in highway funding in New England» and that the shortfall is damaging the state.
Federal and state figures show New Hampshire receives some of the lowest total and per-capita levels of federal funding for roads, highways and bridges in the country, though it does not rank last in every category. Pappas earlier this year introduced the Highway Fair Share Act, which would require each state to receive at least 0.5% of total federal-aid highway formula funding. In June, Pappas and the all-Democratic congressional delegation highlighted $9 million in federal funding for New Hampshire projects.
Pappas Campaign Manager Rachel Petri defended the congressman's record, saying he has led efforts to expand healthcare benefits for 3.5 million veterans, bring high-speed internet to towns across the state, put more money back in the pockets of working parents, and secure millions for roads, bridges and buildings. Petri said Pappas is rated among the most effective and bipartisan lawmakers, and she contrasted his record with Sununu's votes to cut Medicare, his efforts to privatize Social Security, and his backing of President Donald Trump's tariffs and the war with Iran.
The exchange comes as the race tightens. The Cook Political Report shifted New Hampshire from lean Democrat to toss-up, and Inside Elections made the same change earlier this month. The moves are rare in a cycle where the party in power typically faces political headwinds, and Republicans are confronting persistent inflation, soaring fuel prices tied to the war with Iran, and Trump's underwater approval ratings.
Sununu's anti-incumbent argument carries a degree of irony: he spent six years in the House and one term in the Senate before losing a 2008 rematch with Shaheen. He touted his legislative record under both parties but emphasized his time away from Washington. «I've been in the private sector for the last 16 years. That's a good thing, working for tech firms and small businesses, the Waterville Valley ski area, teaching college,» he said. «It's a perspective that I think is missing from Washington.»
Pappas, in a recent interview, said New Hampshire voters are pragmatic and want problems solved. He cited expanding access to health care, building more affordable housing, and standing up to an administration that he said ignores the day-to-day concerns of Granite Staters.
Sununu was not alone in criticizing Pappas during the primary. Karishma Manzur, a first-time candidate and scientist who ran a long-shot socialist campaign, said Pappas wanted a «cushy job» in Washington and did only the bare minimum. Pappas defeated Manzur by a two-to-one margin, while Sununu beat former Sen. Scott Brown in a landslide to win the GOP nomination.
With the general election ahead, both candidates are now focused on making their case to voters in a state that could help decide the Senate majority.
