Shaheen wins Democratic primary for New Hampshire House seat left open by Pappas

Stefany Shaheen, a health tech entrepreneur and daughter of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), is projected to narrowly defeat state Democratic Party Vice Chair Maura Sullivan in the bitter Democratic primary for outgoing Rep. Chris Pappas’s (D-N.H.) seat with 90% of precincts reporting, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Stefany Shaheen and Sullivan, a former top official at the Veterans Affairs Department during the Obama administration, were among nine candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District.

Pappas vacated his seat to run for retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) seat.

The House primary turned nasty in recent months , with Sullivan airing an ad calling Shaheen a “fancy last name” and claiming the younger Shaheen felt “entitled” to New Hampshirites’ votes. Meanwhile, Stefany Shaheen accused Sullivan of taking money from donors with ties to Palantir, a major contractor for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Both Palantir’s ties to ICE and AIPAC have come under fire in Democratic primaries this cycle amid President Trump’s immigration crackdown as well as party disagreements over U.S. support for Israel.

In the Republican primary, car dealership owner Anthony DiLorenzo and businesswoman Hollie Noveletsky have led in the polls for the GOP nod. DiLorenzo is backed by Trump. DDHQ forecasts the House seat is “likely” to remain in Democratic hands in November.

Stefany Shaheen joins a handful of candidates following in a family members’ footsteps this year.

Republican Trever Nehls won a Texas house primary for his brother’s — Rep. Troy Nehls’s (R) — seat in Texas, while Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Texas) won the special election succeed her late father in the House and Michael Alfonso, the son-in-law of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, could win a House seat in Wisconsin.

Not all “nepo” candidates have succeeded in their runs, however. Jack Schlossberg, the grandson to former President John F. Kennedy, lost his House bid in New York. Jonathan Bush, the nephew of the late President George H. W. Bush, and Angus King III, the son of Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), both lost their primary bids for Maine governor.