New Hampshire Primaries Show Democratic Divide Over Israel and AIPAC
New Hampshire primaries revealed a deep division among Democrats regarding Israel. While moderate Chris Pappas defeated a progressive critic of Israel in the Senate race, Stephanie Shaheen won her House primary after running an anti-AIPAC campaign.
A single night of primaries in New Hampshire provided Democrats with two contrasting images of their shifting relationship with Israel. In the more prominent Senate race, Chris Pappas, a moderate congressman with a steadfast pro-Israel record, decisively defeated a progressive challenger who made Israel and genocide accusations a central pillar of her campaign. Just hours later, in the race to succeed Pappas in the House of Representatives, Stephanie Shaheen—daughter of one of the state's most powerful political families—rode to victory after utilizing an anti-AIPAC campaign as one of her most prominent weapons.
Pappas, 46, easily won the Democratic Senate primary with roughly 63% of the vote, securing his place in one of the crucial mid-term races in November. He will face Republican John Sununu, a former senator and the son and brother of two former governors, in a contest that could prove decisive in the battle for control of the Senate. Democrats must retain the seat of retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen—Stephanie's mother—and Republicans have already targeted New Hampshire as one of their prime opportunities.
A Historic Bid and a Chicken Tender Legacy
Pappas is not merely another moderate Democrat with an extensive resume. If he wins in November, he will become the first openly gay man to serve in the United States Senate. He hails from a family that holds another, far less formal American distinction: his grandfather, Charlie Pappas, is credited with inventing the chicken tender in 1974, a fried chicken strip that has since become a national institution. The Pappas family still owns the Puritan Backroom restaurant, a pilgrimage site for politicians visiting New Hampshire, where Pappas celebrated his victory.
His connection to the Shaheen family also closes a near-perfect political circle. In 1996, as a 16-year-old high school student, Pappas volunteered on Jeanne Shaheen's first gubernatorial campaign. Since then, he has passed through nearly every local political station, from the state legislature to an influential executive council, before being elected to Congress in 2018. Now, 30 years after distributing campaign literature for her, he is the nominee aiming to replace her in the Senate.
Navigating the Democratic Party Shift on Israel
For Jerusalem, Pappas has long been considered part of the friendlier wing within the Democratic Party. AIPAC supported him in previous House races, and he was among the Democrats who voted to censure Palestinian-American congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for using the phrase "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free." He supports Israel's right to defend itself and a two-state solution. However, the current primaries demonstrated how much the atmosphere within the party has shifted.
Over recent months, Pappas distanced himself from the right-wing government, stating that Benjamin Netanyahu "must go" and is no longer a reliable U.S. partner. He chose to abstain on a vote to completely cut off $3.3 billion in aid to Israel and pledged that in the Senate, he would support restrictions on shipments of heavy bombs and specific military equipment. This was not enough for his challenger, Dr. Krishma Manzoor, a medical scientist and member of the local Democratic Socialists chapter—the same faction that produced figures like New York politician Zohran Mamdani. Dr. Manzoor accused Israel of "genocide," claimed Netanyahu is "addicted to killing," and asserted that he controls nearly 90% of Congress and the White House. She labeled Pappas an "AIPAC surrogate" and accused him of taking money from the lobby in exchange for his votes.
Manzoor managed to narrow the polling gap in recent weeks, riding the anti-establishment wave that swept up other progressive candidates this year, but election day proved the establishment is still alive. Pappas arrived backed by Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Mark Kelly, and above all, armed with an overwhelming financial advantage: over $15 million raised by the end of August, compared to less than half a million for Manzoor.
The Shaheen Dynasty and the Anti-AIPAC Strategy
Meanwhile, just miles away, a famous family name worked in a completely different direction. Stephanie Shaheen, daughter of the retiring senator, was on her way to a narrow victory in the primary for the House seat Pappas is vacating. Her primary rival, Maura Sullivan, a former Marine officer who served in Iraq and a former Obama administration official, attempted to turn the political dynasty into a liability. In a campaign advertisement, she urged voters to "choose a fighter, not a famous last name," accusing Shaheen of a sense of entitlement to the seat.
Sullivan previously sought the same seat in 2018, when Pappas defeated her in the primary. The moniker "nepo baby" pinned to Shaheen Junior also had a numerical basis: nearly $740,000 of her campaign funds came from donors who had previously contributed to her mother. At least one major donor recounted that the senator herself called and asked him to support her daughter. Her father, Billy Shaheen, is also a veteran Democratic establishment figure in New Hampshire who managed local presidential campaigns over the years, including those of Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, and John Kerry.
However, Stephanie Shaheen has her own record. She served on the Portsmouth City Council and chaired the local police commission, founded a digital health company, and dedicated years to diabetes advocacy after her eldest daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age eight and nearly died. She is a mother of four, a graduate of programs at MIT and Harvard, and authored a best-selling book about her family's struggle with the disease. Her campaign focused on healthcare and universal coverage, but in recent weeks, Israel and AIPAC took center stage.
Shaheen repeatedly attacked Sullivan over donations from individuals who also contributed to AIPAC, releasing an ad depicting her as "financed" by the pro-Israel lobby "associated with Netanyahu." Her campaign featured an image of Netanyahu alongside the declaration: "Let's show them New Hampshire is not for sale." Sullivan vowed that AIPAC itself never donated to or supported her, calling the claim a "malicious and desperate conspiracy theory." Shaheen attempted to fend off accusations of antisemitism by securing the endorsement of J Street, the liberal pro-Israel lobby considered an ideological rival to AIPAC, alongside support from Jewish figures. She is an unequivocal supporter of halting military aid to Israel and pledged to vote for any similar measure. She still speaks of Israel as an "important democratic partner of the U.S." and recognizes its right to exist alongside a two-state solution, but on the issues of aid and the pro-Israel lobby, she positions herself firmly to the left of her mother's generation.
"Let's show them New Hampshire is not for sale."
Thus, while Pappas proved that a democrat with a pro-Israel track record can still easily defeat a rival who built much of her campaign on attacks against Israel and AIPAC, in the adjacent race, the daughter of the senator he aims to replace discovered that attacking AIPAC and opposing military aid is an effective way to prove independence. Both results demonstrate where the Democratic Party stands in 2026: Israel is no longer a foreign policy item that can be skipped in primaries, but a political test where candidates must choose a clear side.
