Representative Chris Pappas, a four-term congressman, defeated a progressive challenger in the New Hampshire Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.
Mr. Pappas, 46, who represents the state’s swingy First District, prevailed over Karishma Manzur, a medical scientist and member of the Southern New Hampshire Democratic Socialists of America, who sought to harness the anti-establishment mood and shifting sentiment against Israel that have upended Democratic primaries nationwide.
His victory sets up a general election contest that could help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.
The seat was left open by Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat who is retiring after three terms in the Senate and who had endorsed Mr. Pappas to succeed her. In recent weeks, Democrats in the state have been sounding the alarm that former Senator John E. Sununu, a Republican who is the brother and son of two former governors, could win in November.
Mr. Sununu easily won his primary against another former Republican senator, Scott Brown, on Tuesday.
A recent poll by the University of New Hampshire showed Mr. Pappas running narrowly behind Mr. Sununu in a general election matchup. The main Republican Senate super PAC, Senate Leadership Fund, has pledged to spend $17 million in the state for the general election; the group’s Democratic counterpart, Senate Majority PAC, has announced initial plans to spend $10.2 million in television advertising.
Mr. Pappas, a moderate Democrat from Manchester, has been among the state’s most successful politicians in recent history, holding onto a House seat in the state’s notably swingy First Congressional District. He had previously served three terms on the state’s five-member Executive Council, a body responsible for approving high-level appointments and state contracts. Before that, he served two terms as treasurer of Hillsborough County and two terms in the State Legislature.
If elected, Mr. Pappas, the grandson of the man credited with inventing chicken tenders, would be the first openly gay male senator. He triumphed over Ms. Manzur with significant support from party leaders and a significant fund-raising advantage. Former Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed him; Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Mark Kelly of Arizona actively campaigned on his behalf.
As of late August, Mr. Pappas’s campaign had raised more than $15 million, according to campaign finance records. Ms. Manzur, who had little support from national progressives, raised less than $500,000 over that same period.
Still, Ms. Manzur had appeared to gain on Mr. Pappas in the polls in the weeks leading up to the primary election. She sought to cast Mr. Pappas as part of a broken establishment in Washington that has catered to special interests at the cost of policies that would have helped everyday people access health care and afford groceries.
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