Stefany Shaheen, the daughter of Senator Jeanne Shaheen, narrowly won a Democratic House primary in New Hampshire on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, a victory for the party establishment that rallied around her candidacy.
Ms. Shaheen, a 52-year-old biotech entrepreneur and former Portsmouth city councilor, finished first in a field that included Maura Sullivan, a 46-year-old Iraq War veteran and former Obama administration official. Ms. Sullivan had tried to cast the primary as a referendum on nepotism in U.S. politics, accusing Ms. Shaheen of believing that she was “entitled” to a seat in Congress.
Ms. Shaheen campaigned heavily on health care issues and sought to walk a careful line on her family ties, recently highlighting her roots in the state through her father’s family history. She also broke with her mother over a government shutdown last year.
The contest in New Hampshire’s First Congressional District, historically a purple area, has the potential to be competitive this fall after the decision by Chris Pappas, the incumbent Democratic representative, to vacate his seat and run for the Senate.
Ms. Shaheen will face the Republican nominee, Anthony DiLorenzo, an automotive executive backed by President Trump, in November.
Ms. Shaheen’s mother, Jeanne Shaheen is retiring, and a win by Stefany Shaheen in November would amount to a passing of the torch for the state’s Democratic establishment.
This year, candidates from well-known political families have had mixed results. Senator Darline Graham won her late brother Lindsey Graham’s South Carolina seat with a major boost from President Trump. But Jack Schlossberg, a Democratic scion of the Kennedy family, lost his congressional bid in New York. And in the Maine governor’s race, Jonathan Bush, a Republican descendant of the Bush presidential dynasty, and Angus King III, a Democratic son of Senator Angus King, lost their primaries.
In the closing stages of the New Hampshire race, Ms. Sullivan repeatedly attacked Ms. Shaheen over her family ties, saying that voters deserved a “fighter, not a fancy last name.” Ms. Shaheen pushed back, saying in a recent interview with The New York Times that she knew she “was going to have to earn every vote” in her own right.
Over the weekend, Carol Shea-Porter, a Democrat who held the House seat on and off for years before Mr. Pappas, endorsed Ms. Shaheen. Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire also threw her support to Ms. Shaheen late in the race.
Ms. Sullivan ran with the support of the Democratic governors Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.
On policy, Ms. Shaheen and Ms. Sullivan had a lot in common. Both said they wanted to protect abortion access, end President Trump’s immigration crackdown and open impeachment proceedings against him.
Several progressive candidates in the race, including Carleigh Beriont, sought to capitalize on an insurgent movement sweeping the Democratic Party this primary season but fell short or ended their bids early.
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