Chris Pappas is a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District since 2019. Born and raised in Manchester, he is the first openly gay U.S. House member elected from New Hampshire and co-owns his family's iconic Puritan Backroom Restaurant. A Harvard graduate, he previously served on New Hampshire's Executive Council (2013-2019) and in the state House (2003-2007). He has positioned himself as a centrist, occasionally breaking with his party on high-profile votes. In 2024, he won reelection to the House with 54% of the vote.
Pappas was born June 4, 1980, in Manchester to Arthur and Dawn Pappas. His paternal great-grandfather immigrated from Greece in the early 20th century. He graduated from Manchester Central High School in 1998 and earned a B.A. in government from Harvard College in 2002, where he wrote for The Harvard Crimson. After college, he returned to Manchester and was elected to the New Hampshire House (2003-2007), serving as Hillsborough County Treasurer (2007-2011), and New Hampshire Executive Council member (2013-2019). He co-owns the family's Puritan Backroom Restaurant, established in 1919, which his great-grandfather expanded into a restaurant and where his grandfather invented the chicken tender in 1974. Pappas married Vann Bentley in February 2023; they live in Manchester.
Supports protecting and expanding healthcare access
Advocates for lowering drug prices and protecting ACA; opposed to stripping healthcare coverage from Granite Staters.
Voting History: Co-sponsored Equality Act for LGBTQ workplace protections; voted to protect Planned Parenthood funding; supported George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.
Focuses on affordability: housing, energy, and basic costs
Campaign emphasizes tackling cost of groceries, housing costs, property taxes, and child care as voter priorities.
Voting History: Sponsored legislation on small business support, affordable health care, opioid crisis, and drinking water protection.
Strong supporter of LGBTQ equality
First openly gay member of NH delegation; co-sponsored Equality Act; supported Bostock v. Clayton County ruling on Title VII protections.
Voting History: Voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib; supported LGBTQ workplace protections in multiple votes.
Support for Israel with humanitarian concerns
Voiced support for two-state solution; sent letter to Trump urging humanitarian aid restoration to Gaza; expressed horror at starvation reports.
Voting History: Voted to censure Tlaib for Gaza comments; voted 46-212 with Republicans and 22 Democrats on H.Res 845; expressed support for ceasefire negotiations while backing Israel's defense.
Pappas is the 8th most likely Democrat to break party ranks (CQ Roll Call 2023). Ranked 12th most effective House Democrat and 14th most effective overall by Center for Effective Lawmaking. Missed only 18 of 3,663 roll call votes (0.5%) from 2019-2026, better than 97% of House members.
| Bill | Title | Vote | Date | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laken Riley Act | Immigration enforcement measure | Yea | 2025-01-01 | Broke with Democratic caucus; voted with 46 House Democrats and all Republicans; targeted immigration enforcement for crimes by undocumented immigrants. Republicans cite this as evidence of bipartisanship; Democrats note it split the caucus. |
| H.Res 845 | Censure of Rep. Rashida Tlaib | Yea | 2023-11-07 | Voted with 212 Republicans and 22 Democrats to censure Tlaib for statements on Gaza; controversial among progressive wing for supporting censure of fellow Democrat over Palestine statements. |
| More Cannabis Opportunity Act | Federal cannabis legalization | Nay | 2020-01-01 | One of six House Democrats voting against legalization; stated concerns about other provisions and rushed timeline rather than opposing legalization itself. |
| Student Debt Cancellation | Biden student debt relief | Statement against | 2022-08-01 | Criticized Biden's $10,000/$20,000 debt cancellation plan as 'no way to make policy'; said it did little to address root causes of rising education costs. |
| George Floyd Justice in Policing Act | Police reform measure | Yea | 2020-06-01 | Co-sponsored legislation addressing systemic racism and police accountability; expressed horror at George Floyd's murder. |
Official campaign messaging emphasizes pragmatic, moderate approach and results-oriented leadership. Focused on kitchen-table issues and affordability. Markedly different from opponent rhetoric which attacks him as out-of-touch; Pappas responds by attacking opponents' corporate ties.
Pappas supports biological males competing in women's sports, wants to ban gas-powered vehicles, and voted to raise taxes on hard-working Granite Staters.
NRSC statement in April 2025 calling Pappas 'extremely out of touch' and saying families deserve better.
Pappas stands with corporate special interests, supports efforts to strip away healthcare coverage from tens of thousands of Granite Staters, and backs Trump's reckless tariffs.
Brown's campaign attack in June 2025; Pappas responded that Brown 'looks for opportunities to do Wall Street's bidding.'
Pappas has never co-sponsored Medicare for All; voted to approve billions in weapons transfers to Israel; taken significant funding from pro-Israel lobbying groups; only wants to reform ICE, not abolish it.
Progressive challenge from left in Democratic primary highlighting policy differences on healthcare, foreign policy, and immigration.
Sununu has been making millions selling out to corporations and working for special interests.
Response to Sununu's Senate campaign launch in October 2025.