2026 US Senate Primary

David Jarvis is a lesser-known candidate running for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire.

Karishma Manzur made a splash when she announced a challenge from the left for Democrat Pappas, who has represented New Hampshire in Washington since 2018. On her website Manzur proclaims, "As the first female PhD scientist ever elected to the U.S. Senate, Karishma will bring scientific leadership to strengthen our economy, protect public health, and keep America at the forefront of medical research." 

Chris Pappas has served as a U.S. Representative since 2018 and previously served on New Hampshire’s Executive Council. (His family is also known for their world-famous chicken tenders at the Puritan Backroom Restaurant in Manchester.) In Congress, Pappas has positioned himself as a moderate, occasionally breaking with his party on high-profile votes such as the Laken Riley Act and the Middle Class Borrower Protection Act. In 2024, Pappas won reelection to the U.S. House. He is now seeking to move up to the U.S. Senate in 2026.

Maxwell Saal writes on his website, "We need less blowhards on Capitol Hill. We need more Bikers. I stand for opportunity for all Americans. I stand for regulations that make sense in the modern world. I stand for the belief that America is capable of more than sitting back and rotting while the oligarchy loots our financial system and squeezes every cent it can from the working class. You can stand right there with me. Let's Ride."

John Vail is a lesser-known candidate in New Hampshire. He writes on his website, "What not who is the point. . . . as I’ve said.   Nothing else.  The point is to reclaim our government out of the hands of wealthy elites and the corporations they control.  So everything here aims to propel enough of us into actions that head that way.  It is a direct, non-violent approach to putting the citizenry in charge of government and creating a legacy those who follow deserve."

Tim Harris is gathering signatures to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate.

Christine Lopez is gathering signatures to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate.

Jeanne Logan Morrow is gathering signatures to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate.

Tom Alciere announces six clear priorities on his website: "Open the borders, Legalize all drugs, Abolish public school, Abolish zoning, Repeal all the other unjust laws and discontinue all the unjust practices."

Scott Brown, a former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand, is mounting a political comeback in New Hampshire. “I’m running for the United States Senate to restore common sense, keep our border secure, and fight for our New Hampshire values,” Brown said. He previously ran for Senate in New Hampshire in 2014 but lost to Jeanne Shaheen.

Sky Danley announced his campaign in Portsmouth and referenced the Declaration of Independence. He wrote in his announcement, "I am running in this contest as a ‘rebirth’ republican, meaning my core beliefs are those that align with the birth of the republican party, namely, standing firm with the Constitution, not with the defiled, cultist, selfishly corrupt party beliefs that now drag this country into darkness."

Andy Martin has run for office several times in New Hampshire. In 2024 he wrote to Citizens Count, "In the current polarized environment, which I would like to change, people attack others they disagree with, and support those they agree with. It is not easy to be in the public arena. But I have survived for half a century. And I’m still making deals (Right to Know agreements) that change the face of elections in New Hampshire! Not a bad accomplishment!"

Mary Maxwell is a lesser-known candidate for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire.

Richard McMenamon is a lesser-known candidate who has also run for governor of New Hampshire.

Sabrina Ann Smith is a lesser-known candidate for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire.

John E. Sununu, a former Republican U.S. Senator and three-term congressman, hopes to win back the Senate seat he once held. First elected to the Senate in 2002 after defeating then-Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, he later lost to her in their 2008 rematch. In launching his 2026 campaign, Sununu said Congress has become “loud, dysfunctional, even angry,” and that he wants to “help calm the waters.” After nearly two decades in the private sector, Sununu is emphasizing civility, fiscal discipline, and practical problem-solving as he seeks to re-enter public service.