WGME: ‘Everyone’s Concerned’ — New Hampshire Voters Frustrated With Costs and Corruption

October 26, 2026

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Eight days from Election Day, Granite Staters are speaking out about their frustration with higher costs and rampant corruption in Washington thanks to the reckless actions of Republicans in Congress and the Trump Administration. Voters are backing Chris Pappas for U.S. Senate because they know he’ll stand up to Donald Trump’s reckless and costly policies unlike his opponent John Sununu who is fighting to be another rubber stamp for the Trump agenda.

Chris Pappas is running for Senate to lower costs for New Hampshire families and small businesses and create a freer, fairer future for Granite Staters. Trump-endorsed candidate John Sununu said he is running for Senate because this race is “important to President Trump’s agenda,” and he supports and has downplayed the worst parts of that agenda — including Trump’s war with Iran, Trump’s tariff taxes, and Trump’s cuts to health care.

By Ahthra Elnashar, 10/23/26

As the leaves change color in the Granite State, Election Day draws closer. In a state known for its fiercely independent electorate, Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas and Republican John E. Sununu, a former congressman and senator, are working to convince voters they will be a force of change in Washington.

On a sunny fall day in downtown Manchester, Maria and Keating Tufts brought their family to a Halloween event for kids, an early trick-or-treating opportunity with local non-profits. Carefree children bounced between candy stations, blissfully unburdened by the anxieties lingering in the back of the minds of parents like the Tufts.

“I think it just takes a lot of courage; it takes people to finally do something different,” Maria said.

She plans to vote for Pappas, as does Keating, who, like more than one-third of New Hampshirites, is an independent voter.

When asked if he ever considered voting for Sununu, Keating said, “Absolutely not.” As a father and small business owner, he’s felt a dual impact of an issue hitting most Americans: rising energy prices. The day prior, he purchased 200 gallons of heating oil for his business, a board game cafe. It cost $1,900. According to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, that same purchase a year ago would have been closer to $700. Nationwide, heating oil prices are up more than 74% from September 2025, according to the latest Consumer Price Index.

To heat their home, the Tufts spread out costs by paying for winter fuel year-round. Even with this economical option, their monthly bill has increased by $200. The spike came with no warning, no time to plan.

Keating, admittedly less optimistic than his wife, acknowledged Democrats’ past initiatives for home heating subsidies, but said it doesn’t feel like Republicans care.

“When you start a war with Iran, it’s going to increase the price,” Keating said.

In March, Sununu voiced support for President Donald Trump’s decision with Israel to go to war with Iran […]

In February, Trump said Sununu had his “complete and total endorsement.”

[…]

Another debate attendee, Democratic voter Tom Rousseau, said: “Everybody’s concerned about what’s going on economically.” In the next Congress, he said he hopes leaders find common ground between the parties and come up with reasonable solutions. Like a majority of Americans, Rousseau said he’s also concerned about corruption.

In both a recent Fox News poll and a CNBC survey, government corruption topped the list of voters’ concerns, slightly outranking the cost of living.

Back in Manchester, a hopeful Maria Tufts keeps her faith in the future.

“There are people out there really making a difference,” she said. “It just takes some people that are willing to stand up and say enough is enough and build that coalition behind them, as well.”

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