New Hampshire voters will select candidates for the upcoming midterm elections on Tuesday, Sept. 8, during the 2026 primary election. Primary elections serve as a pre-emptive elimination round, and give voters the chance to select the candidate that they would prefer to run on behalf of their chosen party. The winner of a primary election traditionally secures the party’s nomination, and faces the opposing party’s nominee in the general election, which will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The upcoming primary will select candidates for contested seats in the U.S. Congress, including outgoing democratic U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s seat, as well incumbent democratic U.S. Representative Maggie Goodlander’s seat in New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District.
U.S. Senate Race
Shaheen, whose political tenure includes serving two terms as a New Hampshire State Senator from 1990 to 1996, serving as Governor of New Hampshire from 1997 to 2003, and serving as a U.S. Senator from New Hampshire since 2009, announced that she would decline to seek re-election in March of 2025.
Shaheen’s upcoming vacancy is being pursued by candidates from across the aisle, including former Republican U.S. Senator from New Hampshire John E. Sununu. Sununu, who formerly served as a U.S. Senator until 2003, when he lost a re-election bid to Shaheen. Sununu is competing against former Republican U.S. Senator for Massachusetts and former U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa Scott Brown.
Democrat and current U.S. House of Representatives member for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District Chris Pappas is running for Shaheen’s outgoing seat. Pappas has served as a U.S Representative since 2019, and faces other democratic challengers including New Hampshire State Representative (Grafton-2) Jared Sullivan and New Hampshire Democratic Party Rules Committee member Karishma Manzur.
The Equinox reached out to every candidate in the aforementioned senate race, and did not receive any responses.
U.S. House of Representatives Race
Incumbent U.S. House of Representatives member from New Hampshire Maggie Goodlander is facing electoral challenges from across the aisle. Goodlander, who won the seat formerly held by Annie Kuster during the 2024 general election, is being challenged by Democratic New Hampshire State Representative Paige Beauchemin and Republican entrepreneur Lily Tang Williams, who ran a campaign against Goodlander during the previous election cycle.
Goodlander was unavailable for comments before The Equinox’s deadline.
Beauchemin, a registered nurse (RN), has spent over a decade focusing on health equity and mental health support, and said that her work has always been focused on supporting marginalized communities.
Beauchemin, a supporter of universal healthcare, said that her experience as a working class person and a healthcare professional inform her perspective and plan for New Hampshire.
“I believe in medicare for all as a nurse, and I fully understand that people will die if they don’t have healthcare, and I don’t ever want to be a part of turning someone away who doesn’t have money for their medication,” said Beauchemin.
“Only two percent of [the United States Congress] is composed of working class people, and I think that a working class person needs to represent us. I know what we need, I know how to help, and I think that I can fight for us more than someone who hasn’t had to know a working class struggle,” added Beauchemin.
Social justice and emphasizing support for human rights are central to the campaign, according to Beauchemin.
“This campaign is about affordability, housing, healthcare, paid leave and peace. I’m also committed to standing up against [Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)], as well as working for true peace in Gaza,” said Beauchemin.
Beauchemin cited Goodlander’s support of the Laken Riley Act, as well as calls to support New Hampshire’s collaboration with ICE as part of her motivation to run against the incumbent representative.
“I think that this is one of the most stark comparisons between our viewpoints, that [Goodlander] voted for the Laken Riley bill, which is what enabled ICE to be what it is right now. That for me is a non-starter,” said Beauchemin.
Williams is running against Goodlander for a second time, having been defeated during the 2024 general election. Williams, who immigrated to the U.S. from China during the 1990s said that she wants to see the American dream thrive, and is skeptical of policies and national directions that she perceives to align with Communism. Williams said that she immigrated from China to escape repressive living conditions under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and does not want to see the same fate befall the U.S.
Williams said that lowering inflation is a key component of her vision for office.
“My slogan is to fight to keep the American dream alive because I’ve lived it, and I’m living proof that the American dream worked in the past. Now it seems like it can be hard to reach that dream, and we need to talk about it,” said Williams.
“One important part of my plan at the federal level is bringing down inflation. When inflation goes up, everything becomes more expensive from housing and rent to healthcare and job opportunities. For young people, and I’m hearing this all the time, is that they don’t have the same opportunities that their parents had,” added Williams.
Williams said that platform access is critical to getting her message out to New Hampshire voters, and hopes for an opportunity to engage with her challengers in a debate. Williams also would like to speak on college campuses, in order to express her campaign and views to young voters.
Ryan Pacheco can be contacted at
rpacheco@kscequinox.com
