The 2022 New Hampshire Primary results are in, and it should make for an exciting general election in November. 

Beginning with the New Hampshire Gubernatorial election, Governor Chris Sununu is seeking his 3rd two-year term in Concord’s corner office. 

Sununu, despite being the incumbent, faced a loaded primary field that included Karen Testerman. This is her second time attempting to defeat the popular incumbent and failing. According to a Saint Anselm College poll from April, Governor Sununu wields a 62% approval rating. 

Governor Sununu is the son of former New Hampshire Governor and White House Chief of Staff John Sununu. Sununu graduated from Harvard Business School and was a New Hampshire Executive Council member before winning the Governorship. 

In November, the popular Sununu will take on Democrat Dr. Tom Sherman. Sherman, who ran in the Democratic Primary, has dedicated his life to service, whether it be his work as an EMT in High School or his work now as a State Senator. 

Incumbent Senator Maggie Hassan won her race with 94.3% of the vote on Primary Day. The former Governor turned senator is seeking her 2nd term as New Hampshire’s Junior Senator. Hassan will face off against MAGA-backed candidate General Don Bolduc. 

In a tight race, Bolduc defeated the Sununu endorsed New Hampshire Senate President and former acting Governor Chuck Morse. While leaning more moderate and bipartisan, Hassan will have to deal with Bolduc’s far-right rhetoric, which included calling Governor Sununu a “Chinese Communist Sympathizer.”  In what should be an exciting race, expect to see shots fired between the two candidates. 

A vital issue in this race (and all races across the country) will be the topic of abortion, with General Bolduc stating he supports the overturning of Roe v. Wade during the Republican Primary debate. 

Hassan has been campaigning hard so far on the importance of protecting safe abortion access across the country. A new television ad from Senator Hassan charged that “Don Bolduc and anti-choice Republicans are taking away your personal freedom.’

  However, Bolduc was quick to refute that claim stating that he does not support a nationwide abortion ban like the plan unveiled by South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham. 

A poll published in August reveals that only 39% of New Hampshire’s registered voters believe that Senator Hassan has done a good enough job to deserve re-election in November. The Non-Partisan Cook Political Report places New Hampshire’s Senate Race as a Lean Democrat.

Both the incumbents of New Hampshire’s Congressional Districts, Democrats Chris Pappas NH-1 (Saint Anselm is in his district) and Anne McLane Kuster NH-2, will once again be the Democratic Nominees for Congress in New Hampshire. Congressman Pappas will be challenged by a Former Aide in Donald Trump’s white house, Karoline Leavitt. Leavitt defeated 2020 congressional candidate and former Trump State Department advisor Matt Mowers. 

High-ranking officials in the Trump Administration endorsed both of the Republican Candidates. Karoline Leavitt is a 2019 graduate of Saint Anselm College and worked as assistant press secretary under Kayleigh McEnany. 

Congressman Chris Pappas is seeking his 3rd term in congress. As of June 2022, Pappas has voted in line with President Biden 100% of the time. Despite this, the Congressman has openly criticized Biden’s plan to cancel the $10,000 in student loan debt, calling it “no way to make policy.” In 2020 Pappas was one of 6 House Democrats to vote against an act to legalize cannabis at the federal level. Congressman Pappas holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard.

As Saint Anselm College is home to the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, members of the community are uniquely situated to be in on the action.  Earlier this month, the NHIOP partnered with WMUR-9 to host four GOP debates. Student ambassadors had the opportunity to volunteer at the debates and meet some of the candidates. Given that an Anselmian Alumna and former NHIOP ambassador is a congressional candidate, it begs the question of which current ambassadors may go on to run for office too. 

The work of candidates and student ambassadors alike is far from over. Now the countdown is on until November 8th when the general election will take place.