GOP's Sununu Surges in Bid to Flip Democrat's New Hampshire Senate Seat
The state has notably not elected a Republican senator in over 15 years.
Democrat Chris Pappas is trailing Republican John E. Sununu in a key New Hampshire Senate race, though the gap has narrowed significantly in recent weeks. According to a new Rasmussen Reports poll, 49% would vote for Pappas compared to 44% opting for Sununu. This is a stark contrast to a poll last month which showed Pappas leading by 11 points (45% to 34%).
Democrat Senator Jeanne Shaheen is stepping down, thus making the seat vacant for the November election. The race is currently rated as a toss-up by the Cook Political Report. Historically, the president's party tends to lose seats during midterm elections, and Republicans currently hold a slim majority in both chambers of Congress.
New Hampshire has not elected a Republican senator in over 15 years. The poll indicated that 3% would vote for Constitution Party candidate Edmond Laplante, while 4% were undecided. Pappas has the backing of 89% of Democrats, 15% of Republicans, and 40% of non-affiliated voters, whereas Sununu has 84% of Republican support, 8% of Democrats, and 44% of unaffiliated voters.
Among women, Pappas leads 53% to 42%, while 53% of men support Sununu, compared to 42% for Pappas. The poll, conducted among 979 likely New Hampshire voters, has a margin of error of 3%. Political commentator Craig Agranoff of Florida Atlantic University noted that while Republicans have a path in New Hampshire, it is a narrow one, and Sununu's narrowing lead fits the bill of a race the Cook Report already classifies as a toss-up.
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