ICYMI: Congressman Chris Pappas Joins Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s Podcast to Discuss His Senate Campaign and the 2026 Midterm Elections

MANCHESTER, NH — In case you missed it, Congressman Chris Pappas joined Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on his podcast for an in-depth conversation about his campaign to represent New Hampshire in one of the most competitive U.S. Senate races in the country.

During the conversation, Congressman Pappas underscored his commitment to delivering commonsense leadership for Granite State families and small businesses, standing up to corporate special interests, and fighting back against the rising costs and economic chaos created by Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington. He highlighted his record of taking on the big fights for New Hampshire and working toward bipartisan solutions that put New Hampshire first.

Watch the full episode here.

Read key excerpts from the episode below:

Why Chris is Running for Senate

“At a moment like this, where there’s so much coming in from this administration, there are so many challenges for our families and small businesses with respect to the economy. I want to find a bigger way that I can advocate for people who need some commonsense leadership right now and focus on how we can get things done and stand up to those forces that I think are getting us so far off track.”

“I spent time crisscrossing the state and talking with folks, and I found that people are just feeling like — even Trump voters — that this isn’t what they voted for in the last election. There’s got to be a better way to approach politics, to improve the way that our systems can deliver when it comes to a fair economy and costs and affordability.”

“We’ve got to get government and politicians out of the way when they’re creating roadblocks for people to be able to live their lives, to earn their shot at the American dream, and to succeed.”

“I want to focus on people. And that’s what I want to do in the U.S. Senate —- focus on getting to work for the people of New Hampshire.”

Championing Small Businesses & Economic Growth

“Our economy here in New Hampshire is really driven by our small Main Street businesses. They really define the character of our state [and] hold a lot of weight in the way that our economy functions here, and they all have unique and diverse needs. Right now, the uncertainty that’s being created is just impossible for them to navigate.”

“We’ve got to focus on how we develop the workforce, how we have tax policy that makes sense for small businesses, how we continue to work to secure and strengthen supply chains, and how we make sure that businesses can have access to capital. All those issues are really important to the Main Street business sector here in New Hampshire. I’ve lived that, it’s something that I bring to the table.”

Bipartisan Leadership & Legislative Approach

“I think that you can stand firm in what you believe in. You don’t have to compromise on your core values, but you always should look for ways to make people’s lives better. So whether that’s helping New Hampshire veterans or finding ways for small businesses to get the support they deserve.”

“There are real lives at stake in the work that we’re doing in Washington. Too many people view it as a zero-sum game, where it’s about your team beating the other team, or trying to drag things out so that you can make the case in the next election. I’ll always take a solution where you’re able to help people and move the ball forward over an ability to make a political argument in a campaign, and I just think that that’s what most people here in New Hampshire expect.”

Affordability & Key Policy Priorities

“We ought to take up legislation to make sure that we’re making life less expensive for folks that I meet each and every day. So that means a program to be able to invest in the kind of construction of affordable housing that we need in this country, expanding existing federal programs, making it easier for people who are first-time home buyers to be able to put down a down payment and to buy a home.”

“We’ve got to find ways to make sure that people aren’t dropping their health care coverage because it’s doubling, tripling, or quadrupling, and that they have access to care that they need in their communities.”

“We have among the highest energy prices in the country here, and there’s a lot we can do as a government to make it easier to bring more production online, including the kind of clean energy projects that this administration seems so dead set against, that we know can help power homes and businesses right here in my state.”

“We’ve got to work on the child care issue as well. It’s unaffordable, out of reach for far too many families. So I think it’s an affordability agenda that means that we’re focused on the needs of middle class and working families, and pushing all the political rhetoric to the side and actually focusing on the kinds of results that we need.”

The Race Ahead

“We’re running against two former United States Senators [John Sununu and Scott Brown], who represent the failed ideas of the past. We’ve got to look ahead. People want to know what you’re going to do for them, and how we can, as a country, rise to the occasion. And I think it’s going to take new voices to get us there.”

“This is going to be a battleground Senate race. We can take back the Senate majority this year, but we cannot take back the Senate majority if we lose the Senate seat in New Hampshire.”

“This is truly about whether we can re-establish some basic checks and balances in Washington, focus on the needs of the people of my state and of this country as this economy becomes so unfair and costs are so high, and focus on defending personal freedoms. That’s the kind of work that I want to do as a member of the United States Senate.”

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