ROUNDUP: Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock Campaigns for Congressman Chris Pappas in NH

October 8, 2026

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) recently visited the Granite State, joining Congressman Chris Pappas on the campaign trail and rallying Democrats across the state as the clock ticks down to the November 3rd general election.

Warnock and Pappas joined local leaders, candidates, volunteers, and supporters at events in Manchester, Nashua, and the Monadnock region, meeting with voters fired up to send Pappas to the U.S. Senate and elect Democrats up and down the ballot to deliver for New Hampshire families.

By Ben Baker, 10/7/26

At a campaign field office opening Tuesday night, Congressman Chris Pappas laid out his top legislative priorities if he were to be elected to the U.S. Senate next month.

Pappas, 46, is the Democratic nominee to succeed Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire’s Senate race, and told The Sentinel his major goals are reversing Medicaid cuts, extending Affordable Care Act premium subsidies, funding housing construction and bringing an end to the ongoing Iran War.

“Those are some immediate things we can do to save people money, but there are also a lot of medium and long-term things that we got to focus on to get this economy working for everyone and to lower costs,” Pappas said. “We need all the good ideas on the table.”

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Pappas, of Manchester, currently represents New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House, a position he has held since 2019. He is no stranger to tight races and has won multiple competitive elections in the district against high-powered Republican opponents, including Karoline Leavitt, who went on to become White House press secretary in 2022.

This year he is facing off against Republican nominee and former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu — the son and brother of former Govs. John H. Sununu and Chris Sununu, respectively — in his first-ever run for statewide office.

In a speech delivered at the newly minted campaign office Tuesday, Pappas bashed President Donald Trump, took aim at “the billionaire, corporate Epstein Class” and referred to his opponent as “the lesser Sununu” before hammering the ex-senator over his voting record in Washington.

“John Sununu has been there [in the Senate] before,” Pappas said. “It didn’t end well for our state, and we turned him out of office because he was the architect of the plan to privatize Social Security. He was a champion of the invasion of Iraq and forever wars. He voted for a $700 billion bailout of Wall Street while screwing Main Street. He voted to give big tax breaks to big pharma … so we know who he stands with.”

Sununu was elected to the U.S. Senate for a single term in 2002. He was ousted by Jeanne Shaheen — who is retiring at the end of this term — in 2008.

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Pappas was joined at the office opening by state Sen. Donovan Fenton, D-Keene, Executive Council Candidate Melanie Levesque, a Democrat from Brookline, state House Minority Leader Alexis Simpson, D-Exeter, Keene Mayor Jay Kahn and Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.

Warnock described Trump as unleashing “evil” and “wickedness” across the country. He added Trump’s rise to power, in his mind, is a product of disaffection with the federal government.

“If we’re honest, Donald Trump is both the problem and a symptom of the problem,” Warnock said. “If you think what we’re trying to do is get to some moment before Donald Trump, you have misdiagnosed this moment because if where we were was so good, there’s no way we would have elected Donald Trump twice.”

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Nashua Independent: Warnock urges Nashua Democrats to rally behind Pappas

By Dan Splaine, 10/7/26

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, urged voters to turn frustration over rising costs, health care cuts and President Donald Trump’s leadership into election organizing Tuesday, appearing alongside U.S. Senate candidate Chris Pappas at a Nashua campaign field office.

The Georgia Democrat and Baptist pastor framed the Nov. 3 election as a test of whether government serves ordinary people or those already holding power. He called on supporters to send Pappas to Washington to challenge Trump’s agenda and help Democrats change the Senate’s direction.

“We need a United States Senator who doesn’t work for Donald Trump,” Warnock said. “We need a United States Senator who works for New Hampshire.”

Warnock opened with praise for New Hampshire’s independent political spirit, mixing his message with humor saying “You all eat lobster roll like it’s a hamburger” about enjoying a lobster roll during his visit.

“Be careful, I might stay,” he said, before pivoting to an argument that Trump’s tariffs amount to taxes on everyday purchases and disproportionately burden poor and middle-class households.

He urged supporters to make that case beyond their own party, speaking with Republican and independent friends as well as Democrats. Congress could act to stop the tariffs, he argued, but Republican lawmakers were allowing the president to exercise power without sufficient resistance.

“You’re paying the price at the grocery store,” Warnock said. He cast Pappas as the fighter New Hampshire needs in the Senate.

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Pappas, a Democratic U.S. representative running for the US Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, delivered a similar message before introducing Warnock. He described the race against Republican John Sununu as close and said Democrats must reach voters across party lines.

Pappas criticized tariffs, health care cuts and special-interest spending, while pledging to protect Social Security, address climate change and carry forward Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s public-service tradition.

“This isn’t about going back to some moment before Trump was in office,” Pappas said. “It’s about planning for the future.”

Warnock closed on a more personal note, acknowledging moments of despair while drawing encouragement from civil rights leaders who continued organizing without assurance of victory. He described the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis as both his mentor and a member of the congregation he served.

“They kept on marching,” Warnock said. “They kept on voting. They kept on showing up.”

Recounting a story about King seeking voting rights legislation, Warnock urged supporters to recognize their own ability to force political change.

“It’s not about the people in power,” he said. “It’s about the power in the people.”

Union Leader: Warnock, stumping for Pappas in NH, won’t rule out 2028 White House run

By Kevin Landrigan, 10/6/26

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., won’t rule out a presidential bid in 2028, but said any Democrat taking back the White House “is a dream if we don’t get it right in 2026.”

Warnock, Georgia’s 57-year-old junior senator, is widely viewed as a rising star in his party since coming to the U.S. Senate in 2021.

During this election cycle, he has campaigned for many candidates in battleground states including New Hampshire.

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“I am sharply focused on the midterms. 2028 is a dream if we don’t get it right in 2026. Folks ask me all the time, is this president going to try to interfere in this election? He’s already doing that. He is already up to trying to balance the scale in his favor,” Warnock told reporters after touring the Somerville Street fire station in Manchester on Tuesday.

“There is so much at stake,” he added.

A Protestant minister, Warnock said he feels a kinship with residents here.

“I have long admired the fierce, independent spirit of the people of New Hampshire; and I am here because I need Chris Pappas with me in the U.S. Senate,” Warnock said.

“Somebody has got to put some guardrails on this president. Folks in this state are being crushed by these prices for gas, groceries, for everything.”

[…]

U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas also joined Warnock as they visited Democratic Party field offices in Nashua and Keene later on Tuesday.

“This is an independent electorate, and people are going to make up their decisions about individual races up and down the ballot,” said Pappas, the Democratic nominee facing off against former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, a Republican, to fill the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

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“We are reaching out to independents, voters who are somewhat caught between the two political parties and are focusing on what we can do to restore some balance to Washington and put the people of New Hampshire first,” Pappas said. “This administration is making things more expensive across the board.”

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MyKeeneNow: Pappas, Warnock Campaign Together at Organize New Hampshire Office Opening

By Nicole Coulson, 10/7/26

U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia joined Democratic candidates, party officials and supporters Tuesday evening for the opening of a new Organize New Hampshire campaign office in Swanzey, with speakers urging voters to make the 2026 election a referendum on President Donald Trump’s policies and the direction of the federal government.

The event at 140 Monadnock Highway brought together Pappas, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire; Warnock; New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley; state Sen. Donovan Fenton; House Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson; and Executive Council candidate Melanie Levesque.

Pappas is challenging Republican former U.S. Sen. John Sununu in the November 3 election for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. Pappas has made opposition to Trump and what he describes as corporate influence in Washington central themes of his campaign.

Warnock: Brokenness Can Create Opening for Demagogues

Warnock, who is a pastor and has represented Georgia in the U.S. Senate since 2021, framed the election in broader terms, arguing that a widespread perception that the country is broken can create an opening for leaders who portray themselves as uniquely capable of fixing it.

He described the condition as a form of spiritual sickness and said demagogues can capitalize on that sense of national frustration by presenting themselves as the only person capable of solving the country’s problems.

Warnock pointed to Trump as an example, arguing that Trump’s political message has portrayed him as uniquely positioned to repair a country he describes as broken.

The senator also criticized Trump’s conduct in office and questioned who has benefited from the economic gains Trump has highlighted.

Warnock called for a new generation of leadership in Washington and argued that the country’s political system should serve ordinary Americans rather than wealthy individuals and corporate interests.

Pappas Makes Case Against Trump-Aligned Policies

Pappas used the event to draw a contrast between his campaign and Sununu, repeatedly linking his Republican opponent to Trump.

Pappas has previously criticized Sununu for accepting Trump’s endorsement and for supporting portions of the president’s agenda. Sununu has said he intends to protect what he considers the administration’s accomplishments while maintaining that he will act independently for New Hampshire.

Pappas said voters have a choice between continuing current federal policies and electing a senator who would oppose them.

Among the priorities he outlined were expanding access to health care, lowering costs, protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, protecting reproductive rights, addressing climate change, and protecting clean air and water.

He also called for reducing the influence of money in politics, overturning Citizens United v. FEC, and opposing nominees he considers unqualified.

Pappas criticized immigration enforcement policies and proposed or enacted reductions in health and nutrition programs. He also argued against tax policies he said disproportionately benefit wealthy Americans.

Pappas has previously described his Senate campaign as a fight against high costs, corporate special interests and what he calls corruption in Washington.

Attacks on Trump, Sununu and Corporate Interests

Speakers repeatedly criticized what they described as the influence of wealthy donors, corporations and political action committees in New Hampshire and Washington.

Pappas has claimed that Sununu benefited financially after leaving the Senate by working for industries and companies that had interests before Congress. His campaign has specifically cited a figure of up to $35 million in discussing Sununu’s post-Senate income.

Pappas also has criticized Trump’s personal wealth gains while in office. In remarks at an earlier campaign event, he said Trump had increased his net worth by $2.2 billion through stock trades, cryptocurrency-related activity and other business dealings. Those comments were part of Pappas’ broader argument that Trump’s description of a “golden age” does not reflect the economic experience of many New Hampshire residents.

The event also featured criticism of spending by national political organizations and wealthy donors. Speakers argued that millions of dollars being spent in New Hampshire are intended to influence the Senate race and preserve political power.

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Warnock Invokes Civil Rights Movement

Warnock also connected the 2026 election to the history of the civil rights movement, pointing to the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, Hosea Williams and Amelia Boynton during the fight for voting rights.

He said major political changes that are now viewed as historic achievements—including women’s suffrage, civil rights advances and LGBTQ rights—were not inevitable and required people to organize, march, knock on doors and continue showing up.

The message was also applied to the current election, with speakers encouraging supporters to engage voters throughout New Hampshire.

Warnock criticized proposed federal legislation that he said would reduce Medicaid funding, cut health care coverage and reduce Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. He connected those concerns to his religious beliefs, saying faith should be reflected in efforts to care for sick and hungry people.

Focus on Voter Turnout

Organizers emphasized voter turnout as a central component of the Democratic campaign heading into the November 3 election.

Speakers pointed to what they described as stronger-than-expected Democratic participation during the primary and argued that similar turnout in November could affect races ranging from the Executive Council and state Legislature to governor, Congress and the U.S. Senate.

The event also introduced local organizers who will work on voter outreach in the Monadnock region, including field organizer Dylan Heller and coordinator Katie Lafazia.

The new Organize New Hampshire office is intended to provide a base for canvassing, phone banking and other campaign activities in the region.

Pappas and Warnock’s New Hampshire appearance was part of a broader campaign swing for the Senate candidate. On Tuesday, they also appeared with local officials and first responders in Manchester, where Pappas discussed federal funding for fire departments and local tax pressures.

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