New Hampshire's Chris Pappas is 1st openly gay man to become US Senator

Chris Pappas has become the first openly gay man to become a U.S. Senator, after winning his New Hampshire seat for the Democratic Party comfortably on Nov. 3's U.S. midterm election.

Broken status quo

New Hampshire (NH) was one of 35 Senate seats up for grabs, and while Pappas is replacing a popular Democratic incumbent, his opponent John Sununu was also popular in his own right. Sununu previously served as NH Senator from 2003 to 2009.

Pappas opened his victory speech by thanking his husband and Sununu, who had called him to concede the race.

Pappas said that his victory was a victory for everyone in New Hampshire over the “broken status quo” that hurt everyone.

He called the results a “wake-up call” for special interest groups and billionaires, accusing them of “rigging the economy”.

He accused the outgoing Congress of cowardice for enabling tariffs, cuts to healthcare, and the Iran war.

Pappas also called U.S. President Donald Trump incompetent for ignoring the suffering of Americans, pledging to fight to deliver change.

Campaign trail

Pappas becomes the first openly gay male senator, the New York Times reports, a fact that he did not dwell on while on the campaign trail.

The NYT reports that while Pappas’ husband Van often accompanied him at events, Pappas emphasised common Democratic issues: dealing with high prices, health care costs, and opposition to corruption.

It also said that while Pappas would be the first openly gay male senator, it notes that Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin, a woman, was the first openly gay senator.

Pappas was previously a congressman for New Hampshire, ironically taking his seat during Trump’s last midterm election in 2018.

He replaces Jeanne Shaheen, a three-term senator, and is in turn to be replaced in Congress by Shaheen’s daughter, Stefany.

Pappas comes from a well-known New Hampshire family, the owners of the Puritan Backroom in the city of Manchester, who are widely credited with the invention of the chicken tender.

Blue Tsunami

His victory comes amidst a “blue tsunami”, as anger towards the rising cost of living, the war in Iran, and other issues has allowed the Democratic Party to win both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

NBC News projects the Democrats to win 255 seats, compared to the Republicans' 180, where 218 is needed for a majority.

The Democrats have also secured a surprise victory in the Senate and are projected to win at least 53 seats, with many results yet to be determined.