Republican John E. Sununu captured the first reported votes in New Hampshire’s closely watched Senate contest early Tuesday in tiny Dixville Notch.
Sununu received five of the community’s seven Senate votes, while Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas received two, according to reported local results. That gave Sununu roughly 71% of the Dixville Notch vote compared with 29% for Pappas.
The result represents only seven ballots and provides no reliable indication of how the statewide race will ultimately finish. Dixville Notch has nevertheless become famous nationally for casting and counting ballots shortly after midnight on Election Day.
The tiny community near the Canadian border routinely produces some of the country’s earliest election results. Tuesday’s result represented a shift from the community’s vote during the 2024 presidential election. Dixville Notch split evenly between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in 2024, with each receiving three votes.
Sununu is attempting to return to the Senate seat he previously held from 2003 until 2009. The Republican defeated former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown and several other candidates in September’s GOP primary, receiving nearly 69% of the vote.
Pappas won the Democratic nomination with approximately 65% and is attempting to keep retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s seat in his party’s hands.
The race carries additional history because Shaheen defeated Sununu when he sought reelection to the Senate in 2008. Sununu previously represented New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District before moving to the Senate. He also comes from one of New Hampshire’s most prominent Republican political families.
His father, John H. Sununu, served as governor and White House chief of staff under President George H.W. Bush. His brother, Chris Sununu, served four terms as New Hampshire governor. Pappas has represented New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District since 2019 and has positioned himself as a moderate Democrat.
The Senate contest has attracted substantial national attention because both parties are fighting over control of the chamber. Republicans and Democrats poured significant resources into the race during its final weeks, including extensive outside spending and television advertising.
The campaigns have focused heavily on affordability, housing costs, federal spending and President Trump’s second-term agenda. Sununu has attacked Pappas as a career politician tied too closely to national Democrats. Pappas has countered by connecting Sununu to Trump and arguing that he would support Republican policies the Democrat opposes.
New Hampshire has supported Democratic presidential candidates in recent elections while continuing to elect Republicans to major statewide offices. Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte is also seeking reelection Tuesday against Democratic challenger Cinde Warmington.
Most New Hampshire polling locations close at 7 p.m. Eastern, while some remain open until 8 p.m. Statewide results will therefore begin arriving hours after Dixville Notch’s seven ballots were counted. The first reported votes give Sununu an early Election Day headline, but the statewide Senate race remains entirely unresolved.
