Summary
- Dan Innis and Karishma Manzur enter the NH Senate race.
- Two competitive primaries shaping GOP and Democratic fields.
- Innis is a GOP state senator and businessman.
- Manzur is a Democratic Party Rules Committee member.
- Both vie for an open seat after Jeanne Shaheen’s retirement.
With the announcement of campaigns by progressive activist Karishma Manzur and state senator Dan Innis, there are now contestants in both the Democratic and Republican U.S. Senate primary in New Hampshire.
Manzur, a biomedical scientist from Exeter, declared her intention to run in the Democratic primary on Wednesday. Manzur was a researcher who looked into epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease. Her most well-known political contributions are probably the opinion pieces she has written for publications like the Bulletin, the Concord Monitor, and the New Hampshire Union-Leader on issues like the Gaza War and the emergence of hate groups in the United States. Although she has never held public office before, she has volunteered for the state Democratic Party Rules Committee, Open Democracy, and New Hampshire Peace Action.
Manzur has been an outspoken opponent of Israel's activities in the Gaza War and a strong supporter of Palestinian human rights. Her campaign debut video, however, highlighted her own upbringing as an immigrant in a working-class household as well as the hardships faced by low-income Americans.
“In the richest country in the world, we have to ask: Why are millions of Americans still struggling just to survive?”
she said in her launch video.
U.S. Representative Chris Pappas, who entered the campaign as the first contender in April, will be Manzur's opponent in the Democratic primary. So far, she hasn't attacked her opponent directly in her campaign.
In July, Innis, a representative from central New Hampshire's District 7, entered the Republican primary. In 2014, he ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District and is currently a member of the national board of the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay conservative organization. Innis is a business professor and farmer outside of politics.
There are now two Republicans in the primary, including Innis. In June, Scott Brown, who served as Massachusetts's U.S. Senate representative from 2010 to 2013 before relocating to New Hampshire, declared his intention to run for office.
Innis has attempted to portray himself as a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and has criticized Brown, his opponent, for not being conservative or pro-Trump enough.
He has, however, devoted a lot more effort to disparaging Pappas by attempting to paint him as a “radical liberal” and associating him with prominent Democrats throughout the country, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In order to produce a map that is more favorable to Republicans, he has called for New Hampshire to redistrict mid-decade like Texas and other states, and he has spoken extensively about preventing transgender females from participating in female sports.
“President Trump needs another fighter in the U.S. Senate, and Chris Pappas will only be a fighter for the radical left,”
Innis wrote in a recent post.
“Pappas votes 94% with AOC and Nancy Pelosi, backing policies that put our adversaries first and make New Hampshire weaker.”
Current U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen declared in March that she would retire at the end of her term, leaving the Senate seat up for grabs.
How might Innis affect Scott Brown’s chances in the Republican primary?
Both Innis and Brown run on conservative platforms supportive of President Trump’s agenda. Innis, with his grassroots appeal as a state senator and business professor who emphasizes small government, tax cuts, and immigration control, could split the GOP base, making the primary less predictable.
Innis highlights his working-class background and ties to rural communities, contrasting with Brown’s more established statewide name recognition and prior Senate experience. This might attract voters looking for a fresh candidate with local ties.
Brown has struggled to secure Donald Trump’s explicit endorsement, partly due to his past criticism of Trump regarding the January 6 Capitol attack. Innis has touted his long-standing support for Trump, potentially winning him favor with pro-Trump Republicans.