Ex-chief wins GOP race in N.H.
CONCORD, N.H. — A black former police chief backed by the Trump administration won the Republican nomination Tuesday in New Hampshire’s toss-up congressional district, while Democrats picked experienced, establishment-backed nominees both for that seat and for governor.
Eddie Edwards, who was endorsed by Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, defeated six Republican opponents in the
1st Congressional District, which covers the eastern half of the state. A Navy veteran who also served as enforcement chief for the state liquor commission, Edwards is the second African-american to be nominated to a U.S. House seat in New Hampshire.
The district, which used to be reliably Republican, has flipped in each of the past four election cycles. In 2016, it returned Democrat Carol Shea-porter to Congress but backed President Donald Trump.
Shea-porter’s decision to step down after four nonconsecutive terms resulted in a swarm of candidates seeking to replace her, including Levi Sanders, son of Vermont senator and former presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. The younger Sanders came up far short Tuesday in an 11-way race won by restaurateur Chris Pappas, who would be New Hampshire’s first openly gay member of Congress.
Pappas is a former state lawmaker who is serving his third term on the governor’s Executive Council and runs a family restaurant in Manchester. He had the backing of the state’s two Democratic U.S. senators, and he said he was proud that most of the money he raised came from within the state.
In the governor’s race, former state Sen. Molly Kelly defeated former Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand and will face Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who faced no primary opposition. Kelly said strong Democratic turnout should send a message to Sununu that voters want someone who will put the people first, not corporate special interests.
Seven Republicans were competing for a chance to face Democratic U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster in the 2nd Congressional District. She, too, faced no opposition in the primary.
Accustomed to going first in the presidential primary, New Hampshire voters were among the nation’s last to nominate candidates for November, providing one of the final measures of the country’s mood before November’s midterm election.
Rhode Island will hold its primary on Wednesday, and New York follows a day later.