Six Months Out From Election Day, Costs are Higher Than Ever — And Chris Pappas is Running for Senate to Bring Relief to Granite Staters

MANCHESTER, NH — A little over six months out from the 2026 general election and Granite Staters are grappling with growing economic uncertainty and skyrocketing costs on everything from gas to groceries because of Donald Trump’s tariffs and war with Iran.

Americans now report feeling less optimistic about the economy than during the COVID-19 pandemic or even the Great Recession — and Granite Staters are feeling the impact everywhere:

  • Gas prices are surging ahead of the busy summer travel season, with New Hampshire averages climbing above $4 per gallon — forcing small businesses to raise prices or absorb steep losses. 
  • Transportation companies and service providers report thousands of dollars in increased weekly fuel costs, putting pressure on everything from school transportation to medical trips.
  • Small businesses are being squeezed by tariffs, with many unable to access relief despite rising costs being passed down through supply chains — leaving both owners and customers paying more.

Congressman Chris Pappas is running for Senate to tackle the affordability crisis — because every Granite Stater deserves a fair shot, and right now, the cards are stacked against them. 

In Congress and on the campaign trail, Pappas has put forward plans to lower costs for families by making essentials like energy, health care, groceries, and child care more affordable. As prices are spiking for Granite Staters at the gas pump, he introduced the Gas Prices Relief Act of 2026, which would suspend the national gas tax until October of 2026

He is leading the fight for ethics reform and cracking down on corruption in Washington, sponsoring the bipartisan Restore Trust in Congress Act and the No Getting Rich in Congress Act to ensure elected officials are working for their constituents, not their own financial interests. 

Meanwhile, his opponent John Sununu remains in lockstep with Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans’ extreme and costly agenda. Sununu said this race is “important to President Trump’s agenda” and he’s spent months backing the very policies that are driving up costs and squeezing small businesses across New Hampshire.

From supporting Trump’s war in Iran — which Sununu is profiting from — that’s raising prices at home to backing Trump’s wasteful taxpayer-funded vanity projects, Sununu has made it clear that he’s in this race to push Trump’s agenda that benefits corporate special interests and his billionaire backers at the expense of hardworking Granite Staters. 

The stakes in this election couldn’t be higher and the choice is clear: Chris Pappas is fighting to lower costs, take on corporate greed, and bring accountability to Washington. John Sununu is running to sell out New Hampshire to Donald Trump and the same corporate special interests that have lined his pockets for years.

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