Stefany Shaheen has won the Democratic primary for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, overcoming Maura Sullivan and several other rivals to keep her family’s political presence at the centre of the state’s electoral map.
Shaheen, the eldest daughter of Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen, will now face Republican Anthony DiLorenzo in November for the seat being vacated by Congressman Chris Pappas, who is running for the Senate.
The district is expected to be closely fought. Kamala Harris carried it by only two percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, making the contest one of the more competitive House races in New Hampshire.
Shaheen sought throughout the campaign to establish an identity separate from her mother, highlighting her record on Portsmouth city council and her work advocating for medical research and healthcare.
She also criticised the agreement Jeanne Shaheen helped broker to end last autumn’s government shutdown, signalling a willingness to distinguish herself from the senior senator’s decisions in Washington.
Her surname nevertheless provided an early advantage in name recognition and fundraising. Nearly $740,000 of Shaheen’s itemised campaign contributions came from donors who had previously supported her mother, accounting for 39 per cent of the total, according to an analysis of campaign finance records.
One donor said the senator contacted them last autumn to seek backing for her daughter’s campaign.
Sullivan made Shaheen’s political connections a central line of attack, arguing that voters were increasingly wary of candidates associated with the Democratic establishment. The criticism came as Democratic primary voters elsewhere in the United States showed growing enthusiasm for candidates presenting themselves as outsiders.
The contest became increasingly bitter in its final weeks, with the two leading candidates trading accusations over donations and launching attack advertisements as the gap between them narrowed in polling.
The field also contracted shortly before voting. Two candidates withdrew, including progressive Christian Urrutia, who endorsed Shaheen.
