Carleigh Beriont serves on the Hampton selectboard and teaches at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. She is running for Congress in 2026 with a focus on social and environmental justice. “A lot of mornings, I wake up angry,” Beriont said. “I wake up angry that we don’t have paid parental leave, that we don’t have Medicare for all. I wake up angry about the way that corporate polluters are treating our planet.”

Stefany Shaheen is a former Portsmouth city councilor and daughter of U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. “For 15 years I’ve been a fierce fighter for medical research and innovation in health care to help people like my daughter, Elle, battling chronic, life-threatening diseases, like diabetes,” she said. Shaheen framed her run as a response to proposed federal cuts: “When I see Donald Trump crushing medical research and slashing health care… I have to fight back.”

Maura Sullivan is a former Marine and Obama administration official who previously ran for Congress in 2018. She is running again in 2026, saying, “The First Congressional District needs a member of Congress who will help usher in a new generation of leadership focused on lowering costs, investing in economic innovation, and helping to create a sense of security and stability.”

Christian Urrutia is an executive at Airbnb, a former attorney in the Biden administration, and a Captain in the New Hampshire Army National Guard. He grew up in Hudson and now lives in Moultonborough. In his campaign announcement, Urrutia criticized both Republican and Democratic leaders for favoring insiders over working families, saying, “Insiders profit — everyday people pay the price. I’m not running for Congress to join that game. I’m running against it.”

Chris Bright is a businessman and U.S. Army veteran from Derry, NH. He ran in the 2024 Republican primary for the 1st Congressional District but did not advance to the general election. Reflecting on his background, Bright said, “As a political outsider, small business owner, and combat veteran, I know what it’s like to run a budget for a family of five, build a small business from scratch into a national company… and deploy in defense of my country and our ideals.”