Two New Hampshire Democrats, whom the American Israel Public Affairs Committee backed, won their primaries easily against far-left candidates who accuse Israel of “genocide” in Gaza.
Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) won the nomination to replace Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), a former state governor, and Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.) was renominated in the 2nd Congressional District.
With about 90% of the votes counted, Pappas secured 92,196 votes (65%), more than 30 points ahead of Karishma Manzur, who had 46,333 votes (32.7%).
On his campaign website, Pappas touted his support of Israel, a two-state solution and his votes for defensive aid for Israel and humanitarian aid for Gaza.
“After the deadly Hamas terror attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, Chris reaffirmed America’s ironclad commitment to protecting Israel’s right to exist,” it states. “He has supported bipartisan security assistance for Israel to defend itself and has voted for more than $9 billion in life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza.”
On her campaign website, Manzur called for “ending U.S. complicity in the genocide of Palestinians.” The site adds that “our problems aren’t disconnected from violence abroad. The corporate greed and political corruption that fuel endless wars thousands of miles away are the same forces holding families back here at home.”
AIPAC raised more than $230,000 for Pappas, according to Federal Election Commission records.
In the 2nd District, with about 87% of votes counted, Goodlander secured 51,678 votes (81.6%), more than 60 points ahead of Paige Beauchemin, who had 11,553 (18.2%).
A state representative, Beauchemin said during a September debate that Goodlander took “AIPAC money and other Israel-aligned lobby money.” Beauchemin’s campaign website said that there was a need to “end the genocide in Gaza and provide aid to the Palestinian people.”
Goodlander will face GOP primary winner Lily Tang Williams, whom she defeated two years ago. AIPAC raised more than $118,000 for Goodlander’s re-election campaign, per FEC filings, even as she voted for an amendment to cut off aid to Israel in July.
AIPAC does not currently provide a link on its website to donate to Goodlander’s campaign among other candidates it supports.
“My support for Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself as a Jewish and democratic state is ironclad,” Goodlander stated after the vote.
She also decried Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for “having ignored the concerns of the vast majority of Americans about its conduct in Gaza.”
Pappas, the Senate nominee, voted “present” on the amendment in July to cut off aid to the Jewish state.
“I have deep concerns about the path Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to pursue that undermines the long term security objectives of Israel and the United States,” he stated at the time. “I cannot support this amendment as written but also cannot support the disproportionate, extreme policies of the Netanyahu government.”
The Jewish Democratic Council of America, which backed both Pappas and Goodlander, wished both “Mazel tov.”
In the 1st Congressional District, with 93% of the votes counted, former Portsmouth City Council member Stefany Shaheen, daughter of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, secured 28,586 votes (37.3%).
Those numbers were narrowly ahead of Maura Sullivan, a veteran of the Obama administration, who had 26,885 votes (35.1%).
Pappas is the incumbent in the district, in which automobile executive Anthony DiLorenzo received U.S. President Donald Trump’s endorsement and won the Republican primary with 28,251 votes (51.6%).
Among two Washington-based publications that rate congressional races, Inside Elections called the Senate race a tossup, while the Cook Political Report gave Pappas a slight advantage. Both publications said Shaheen and Goodlander were strong favorites to win in November.
Like neighboring Massachusetts, Democrats ignored challengers from the left and chose more moderate nominees.
“I think that the progressive insurgency, which was based on younger voters, didn’t materialize,” Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, told JNS.
“This is likely because younger voters just don’t turn out in primary elections as often as older voters,” added Smith, an associate professor of practice at the University of New Hampshire.
“This fight is far from over, and we’ll keep putting in the work to win this November because you deserve a senator who’ll fight for you,” Pappas stated after beating Manzur.
He will face former senator John Sununu, who won the Republican nod over former senator Scott Brown, with 68,694 votes (68.6%) to Brown’s 26,644 (26.6%).
Sununu, the son and brother of former governors, carried Trump’s endorsement. He is of Palestinian heritage and was critical of Israel during his earlier tenure in Congress.
“As senator, I’ll have just one job: stand up for the people of New Hampshire every single day,” Sununu stated after his win. “We will keep listening, keep working and stay laser-focused on the economy, jobs and making life more affordable.”
In the gubernatorial race, New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte won the Republican primary with 91,473 votes (91.6%), with about 88% of votes counted.
She will face Cinde Warmington, a former member of New Hampshire’s Executive Council, in the general. Warmington was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
