Democrat Chris Pappas won a U.S. Senate seat representing New Hampshire, becoming the first openly gay person elected to the Senate, according to reported results. (Foto: Instagram)
Democrat Chris Pappas won a U.S. Senate seat representing New Hampshire in the Nov. 3 midterm elections, becoming the first openly gay person elected to the Senate, according to the reported results. He defeated Republican candidate John E. Sununu, who was backed by President Donald Trump. Pappas thanked supporters on social media after the outcome.
Before his Senate victory, Pappas represented New Hampshire in the U.S. House. He was first elected to the House in 2018 and later won reelection.
Before Pappas, two openly LGBTQ+ women had been elected to the Senate: Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Laphonza Butler of California also served in the Senate, taking office in 2023 after an appointment rather than an election. Former Sen. Harris Wofford of Pennsylvania served from 1991 to 1995. He was married to a woman during his Senate service and married a man in 2016.
The midterm elections are taking place as Trump’s administration faces a period of declining approval, which the source attributed to the prolonged war with Iran and rising costs of living in the United States.
In the 2026 midterms, voters are deciding 35 Senate seats, 36 governor’s offices and all 435 seats in the House. Preliminary figures indicate that Democrats are ahead in contests for both the Senate and House, but final results could take days or weeks. The United States has no central agency that collects and releases election results; each state is responsible for counting votes and reporting results as its count is completed.
