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Chris Pappas

Representative, NH-1 · Democratic · New Hampshire

Chris Pappas is the Democratic U.S. Representative for NH-1 and a 2026 candidate for the open U.S. Senate seat, running as a pragmatic moderate.

Profile last updated Jul 8, 2026 · Center Field Politics

Scout's Report

A moderate Democrat who highlights veterans’ issues and occasionally breaks with his party on high-profile votes.

Core Strength

Veterans and constituent-service record; cross-party appeal in a swing district.

Core Weakness

Moderate breaks with the party can frustrate the base.

Recent Action

Launched his 2026 U.S. Senate campaign for the open Shaheen seat.

Key Metrics

Reliability
96%

Roll-call or session participation — did they show up?

Documented Controversies
0

Official ethics findings or court records only.

Funding Secured
$180M

Federal appropriations and veterans funding directed to NH-1 (absolute).

Outside Influence
Low

Derived from PAC and outside-spending share of campaign funding.

Where They Stand

Stances on the issues many voters care most about. Where a candidate has not given a clear answer we mark it "Mixed / Partial" or "Unclear" rather than guess. Positions are drawn from official records and bias-labeled news sources; they are descriptive only and are never scored.

Environment—Supports4

Climate protections and regulation versus fewer climate-related regulations on industry.

Backs clean energy and PFAS cleanup while supporting a practical energy mix.

Medium Confidence

Healthcare—Mixed / Partial4

Expanding healthcare coverage for all versus expanding market-based, private insurance.

Supports strengthening the ACA and lowering costs rather than single-payer.

Medium Confidence

Second Amendment—Supports4

New firearm regulations versus no new firearm regulations.

Supports expanded background checks and red-flag laws.

Medium Confidence

Immigration—Mixed / Partial46

Pathways to citizenship versus a closed-border approach.

Backs legal pathways but has voted for tougher enforcement measures.

Medium Confidence

Roe v. Wade—Supports4

Protecting access to abortion versus restricting access to abortion.

Supports abortion-rights protections.

High Confidence

National Security—Mixed / Partial4

Whether diplomacy or military strength should be the primary national-security priority.

Favors congressional authorization and diplomacy over unilateral military action.

Low Confidence / Insufficient Data

Campaign Funding

Raised $8.5M for the 2026 cycle. Outside influence read: low; opacity proxy 0%.

Total raised (cycle 2026): $8,500,000 · Outside influence: Low

Estimated Net Worth

Most recent estimate: $1M-$5M

Year-over-year change cannot be computed until additional disclosure years are added to this profile.

Party Loyalty

Party-line alignment on major recorded votes.

A Problem Solvers Caucus member who has broken with Democratic leadership on some border and economic votes.

On the 2026 Ballot

Sources

  1. Congress.gov — Chris Pappas
  2. GovTrack — Rep. Chris Pappas voting record
  3. AP — New Hampshire policy coverage
  4. Ballotpedia — Chris Pappas political positions
  5. Congress.gov — S. 3373, Honoring our PACT Act
  6. Congress.gov — H.R. 29, Laken Riley Act
  7. American Immigration Council — Analysis of the Laken Riley Act
  8. NH GOP — Statement on Pappas Senate bid
  9. FEC — Campaign finance (Q2 2026 filing (open U.S. Senate race))
  10. OpenSecrets — Personal finances (federal disclosures)
  11. Wikipedia — Chris Pappas
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