Senator’s daughter wins Democratic nod in closely watched race to replace outgoing Dem incumbent

Stefany Shaheen, the daughter of retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, won a Democratic primary early Wednesday morning in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District — a high-profile race that’s attracted a crowd of Democratic candidates.

Her victory tees up a critical race Democrats need in order to win control of the House of Representatives as the district’s incumbent, Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., pursues higher office.

Pappas, who has represented the district since 2019, announced a bid for the U.S. Senate last year.

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“I’m honored that the people of New Hampshire have entrusted me to fight for them; I’m proud of what we have accomplished together and I’m going to continue this fight in the U.S. Senate,” Pappas said in a press release.

Incumbents often present their party’s best chance to win in competitive districts. Pappas last won reelection in a 54.0% to 45.9% victory over Republican challenger Russell Prescott, a local legislator.

The race attracted a crowd of Democratic challengers hoping to fill the empty seat.

In addition to Shaheen, eight contenders jumped into the race, including Maura Sullivan, a Marine veteran and an Obama-era official. The field also included Carleigh Beriont, a union organizer and progressive, and Christian Urrutia, an Army National Guard officer and international law attorney. Urrutia would eventually later drop out and endorse Shaheen who quickly became a frontrunner. 

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Sen. Shaheen, who announced her retirement last March, endorsed her daughter.

“I’m so proud that Stefany is answering the call to serve the district she was born and raised in, where she has started a business, worked on the Portsmouth City Council and advocated for affordable health care and clean water,” she said in a statement.

“She’s working hard to earn voters’ support in her own right and on her own merits — and I couldn’t be prouder to support her candidacy.”

Shaheen emphasized priorities like Medicare for All, expanding tax breaks for first-time homebuyers and overhauling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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Sullivan, for her own part, pitched herself as an experienced veteran. On her campaign website, she highlighted her military service in the Marines, her work with the Obama administration in 2014 as an assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and her leadership as a private sector health technology executive.

“I joined the Obama administration. I was proud to work on matters of national security, healthcare and reform to help fellow military families like mine,” Sullivan said in a campaign video.

Sullivan’s platform includes cracking down on what she described as price gouging, bolstering the VA, opposing Trump’s tariffs and increasing federal investments in housing development.

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Having cleared the primary, Shaheen will advance to the general election on Nov. 3.