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Full Breakdown

New Hampshire Senate Debate Highlights Affordability Clash and Trump Ties

By Drooid · · How we work

In this breakdown

01

Core Event

Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas and Republican former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu faced off in a televised debate as they vie for the open Senate seat left by retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. The candidates centered their exchange on the “affordability crisis” in New Hampshire, each blaming the opposing party’s policies and linking the other to former President Donald Trump.

WMUR9

02

Background & Context

The race pits a four-term House Democrat against a former senator who served from 2002-2008. Both candidates come from prominent New Hampshire families: the Sununus have produced governors and a former White House chief of staff, while the Pappas family is known for the Puritan Backroom restaurant in Manchester. The contest is viewed as pivotal for control of the U.S. Senate.

Chris Pappas Could Make LGBTQ History in Senate Race

Visual evidence

Images from the story

Chris Sununu served four terms as governor. David Lane/Associated Press
Chris Sununu served four terms as governor. David Lane/Associated PressPhoto: bostonglobe
GOP candidate for Senate John E Sununu talked with visitors at the Laconia Pumpkin Festival. Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff
GOP candidate for Senate John E Sununu talked with visitors at the Laconia Pumpkin Festival. Craig F. Walker/Globe StaffPhoto: bostonglobe
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu shook hands he waited in line to get his lift ticket at Gunstock Mountain Resort in 2023. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu shook hands he waited in line to get his lift ticket at Gunstock Mountain Resort in 2023. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe StaffPhoto: bostonglobe

03

Data & Statistics

  • Under President Joe Biden, prices rose roughly 20 % overall and 9 % in a single year, the highest inflation rate since the 1970s.
WMUR9
  • Pappas points to Trump-era tariffs and the war in Iran as primary drivers of higher gas, diesel and consumer-goods costs.
WMUR9
  • Sununu cites longer-term structural issues that predate the Trump administration, arguing the affordability problem “goes back further.”
WMUR9

04

Official Statements & Responses

  • Pappas pledged to block Trump-aligned policies if Democrats regain Senate control.
WMUR9
  • Both candidates asserted they would “stand up” to any Trump-driven legislation that harms New Hampshire families.
WMUR9

05

Verbatim Quotes

  • “The recklessness of Donald Trump's war of choice in the Middle East is raising prices, and New Hampshire families can't afford it,” — Rep. Chris Pappas
WMUR9
  • “We saw tonight that Chris Pappas has been in Congress for eight years. He's attempted very little, accomplished even less,” — Sen. John E. Sununu
WMUR9
  • “The infection that Trump is visiting on the entire Republican ticket is a huge burden even for a strong candidate like John Sununu,” — Tom Rath, former Republican attorney general of New Hampshire
Boston Globe

06

Conflicting Reports & Gaps

Sources differ on the legislative act Pappas allegedly supported: one passage says he voted for the Inflation Acceleration Act, while another references the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 as the law Sununu mentioned. The precise name of the bill tied to the inflation figures remains unclear. While Pappas attributes rising costs to Trump’s tariffs and the Iran war, Sununu points to deeper, pre-Trump economic trends; the debate did not produce independent data to resolve which factor is most decisive.

WMUR9

07

What’s Next

The Senate race will be decided in the upcoming general election. Both campaigns continue to tour the state, emphasizing personal outreach and local economic issues while navigating the broader national narrative surrounding former President Trump.

Christian Science Monitor