The new hampshire delegation
congressional officials …
Given its small size, New Hampshire has difficulty proving its demographic diversity. The delegation consists of members who have served multiple terms, the longest being the senior senator, Jeanne Shaheen, since 2008.
Of the four class members, three are female, and one is male. Two delegation members have law degrees, while the other two do not. One is a military veteran.
The average tenure for the delegation currently is 2.5 terms, assuming everyone completes their service through the end of 2026. The two United States Senators also served as governors of New Hampshire.
When you look at these profiles, we have given each a letter grade for their effort this Congress, based on various factors, which you will find in What Is Thomas Looking For? These letter grades are probably pretty familiar to you if you have ever been a school student (we hope the answer to that is we all have!)
If you see a low score for a particular member, it will probably be due to one or two key factors: ethics challenges or anti-democratic behavior.
Republicans have been hit hard on their lack of push back on former and now current President Trump and their support of election denying in the 2020 presidential campaign. The unanswered soaring deficit on their watch, the dismantling of allied relationships around the globe, and opposition to funding anti-authoritarian initiatives. The denial of climate change weighs heavily on us as well. We make no secret that transparency and Government in the Sunshine are vital to us, and we further argue that some have been awful stewards of this category. None of the New Hampshire delegation members voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results on the same evening as Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol.
Democrats have been hit hard for their lack of progress on key matters because they do control the United States Senate and have a razor-close margin in the U.S. House of Representatives. They have not been, in our opinion, innovative or necessarily insistent on finding rational, reasonable solutions to the problems plaguing the American public today. We want to see more and better.
Both have been dinged for being too partisan and not collaborative where evident. In our opinion, being too doctrinaire or an obstructionist to good government in the 21st century does not get one a good grade from Thomas.
We also indicate what we believe might be the outcome of these Members’ 2026 elections today. One of the two United States Senators is up for re-election this season.
Our prospect ratings fall into three categories:
Safe Bet - which means what it means. These members of Congress are running strong and look to be overwhelming prospects for re-election at this time. However, we reserve the right to re-categorize their chances if necessary.
It’s A Race - means this race is too close to call, and we can not reasonably predict who will win this seat.
Nudging - means the seat is leaning one way or another for this candidate. We have just a small number of current members of Congress in this category. Stay tuned!
So, would you like to meet these fascinating New Hampshirites? If so, keep reading on!
what is thomas looking for?
There are several vulnerable races in New Hampshire for Thomas to watch in 2026:
NHS1 - Jeanne Shaheen’s seat (Incumbent D - Nudging D)
NH01 - Chris Pappas’ seat (Incumbent D - It’s a Race)
NH02 - Maggie Goodlander’s seat (Incumbent D- Nudging D)
the senators
Credit: US Senator Jeanne Shaheen
United States Senator jeanne shaheen (D)
New Hampshire’s senior senator, Jeanne Shaheen, is a three-term member of the U.S. Senate who is up for re-election in 2026. She is the ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee; and serves on the Appropriations Committee; the Small Business Committee; and the Select Committee on Ethics. Married and the mother of three, Senator Shaheen is a graduate of Shippensburg University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Mississippi. The Senator was also New Hampshire’s governor from 1997 until 2003.
Thomas Take: Up for Re-Election in 2026 - Nudging Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Senator Maggie Hassan
United states senator maggie hassan (d)
New Hampshire’s junior senator is serving her second term in the U.S. Senate. A former Governor from 2013 to 2017, Senator earned her undergraduate degree from Brown University and her law degree from Northeastern University. Married and the mother of two, Senator Hassan serves on the Finance Committee; the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; the Veterans’ Affairs Committee; and is the ranking member on the Joint Economic Committee.
Thomas Take: Not up for re-election in 2026
Thomas Rank: B
the representatives
Credit: US Rep. Chris Pappas
district 1 - u.s. rep. chris pappas (d)
The first district of New Hampshire encompasses the southern part of the state and is represented by Congressman Chris Pappas, a four-term member of the U.S. House. The married Congressman earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as well as the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Thomas Take: Nudging Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
district 2 - U.S. Rep. maggie goodlander (D)
First-term Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander represents a district that covers the western and northern areas of New Hampshire. A law and undergraduate of Yale University, the Congresswoman serves on the Armed Services and Small Business committees. She is married to President Biden’s former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
Thomas Take: Nudging Democrat
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
Credit: US Rep. Maggie Goodlander