Chris Pappas is New Hampshire’s first openly gay congressman, defeating Republican Eddie Edwards for the house seat vacated by retiring representative Carol Shea-Porter. Pappas will represent New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district.
“I am humbled beyond words that the voters of the 1st Congressional District placed their trust in me today,” Pappas told supporters according to WMUR-9 in Manchester. “Voters in New Hampshire and all across the country are delivering a strong message that when America is faced with a challenge, we don’t give up. We don’t give in to fear or anger. We persevere.”
Edwards alerted supporters around 11:00 p.m. eastern to let them know he had conceded the race.
With 85% of precincts reporting in, Pappas is ahead of Edwards 53.1% to 45.5%.
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President Donald Trump lawyer, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, endorsed Edwards. He was a former police chief in South Hampton, and would have been New Hampshire’s first African-American member of Congress.
The race was closely watched; with Shea-Porter stepping down, the seat was seen as a toss up between Democrats and Republicans.
First elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives, Pappas sat on the New Hampshire Executive Council since 2012. He also served two terms as the treasurer of Hillsborough County.
He defeated ten other contenders in the Democratic primary, including Bernie Saunders’ son, Levi.