The establishment strikes back in New Hampshire Senate primary

The political establishment has carried the day in the Senate primary elections in New Hampshire.

U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday to succeed three-term Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, while former Sen. John Sununu captured the Republican nomination, setting up an open-seat general election critical to both parties’ hopes of running the Senate.

‘I’m New Hampshire.’

With nearly 88% of the expected vote counted, establishment favorite Pappas crushed socialist Karishma Manzur 65% to 33%, with the remaining Democrat vote split among David Jarvis, Maxwell Saal, and John Vail.

Sununu faced a challenge from former Massachusetts senator and Trump administration alum Scott Brown, but ultimately beat him 68.5% to 26.7%. Several other Republicans finished in the distant single digits.

New Hampshire has not elected a Republican senator