Stefany Shaheen, the daughter of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), edged out a victory over Maura Sullivan, a former Obama Administration official, in New Hampshire’s primary for the state’s 1st Congressional District.
Shaheen defeated Sullivan 37% to 35%, with Carleigh Beriont trailing behind the two more moderate candidates at 22% at the time of writing. The result represents somewhat of an upset, only because polling had signaled that Sullivan led Shaheen in the final weeks of the race.
However, consolidation of the field appears to have worked to Shaheen’s advantage. For example, Shaheen received the endorsement of Christian Urrutia, who ran a progressive campaign but dropped out in the last week of the race.
Stefany Shaheen’s victory signals the continuation of the Shaheen political dynasty in New Hampshire, as her mother is retiring from the Senate after three terms. Per Politico, Stefany Shaheen leaned on her mother’s donor network, with $740,000, or about 39% of her campaign’s funds, coming from donors who had previously supported her mother’s campaigns financially.
Even as Shaheen’s family ties proved a boon in fundraising, her politically connected upbringing also opened her up to attacks on the campaign trail, with Jeanne Shaheen’s image featuring prominently in early campaign materials but disappearing as the campaign went on. Prior to running for Congress, Stefany Shaheen served as a City Councilor in Portsmouth and as the chair of the Police Commission there.
Her victory also signals that the progressive wave, which has washed over Democratic races from New York to Michigan to California this year, didn’t make it to New Hampshire. As Shaheen secured victory in the 1st District, Rep. Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) fended off a primary challenge from State Rep. Paige Beuchemin, who ran as a progressive, with 82% support. Similarly, Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01) soundly defeated his progressive opponent, Karishma Manzur, in the state’s Democratic Senate primary.
Both of New Hampshire’s congressional districts firmly supported Democrats in the 2024 election and are expected to favor the party in the 2026 midterms.
(Photo: Stefany Shaheen, via Stefany Shaheen for Congress Facebook)