New England’s Crucial Primary Battles: NH Senate Race and RI Gubernatorial Showdown

Just a week after Massachusetts wrapped up its primary, two of New England’s smaller neighbors are stepping into the spotlight. In the north, New Hampshire voters are heading to the polls on Tuesday to choose the Republican nominee for an open U.S. Senate seat. It feels a little like a flashback to the early 2000s, with two familiar names resurfacing from the state’s political past.

One contender is John Sununu, a former senator who also spent time in the House of Representatives and even served as chief of staff to a president. The other is Scott Brown, the Massachusetts‑born Republican who briefly represented the Bay State in the Senate a decade ago before losing his seat. Both men are veterans of the Capitol, and oddly enough, many New Hampshire GOP voters seem perfectly comfortable seeing them back in the arena.

The real question, though, is whether the primary winner can carry the seat into November. The Democrats have a clear‑cut race: 46‑year‑old Representative Chris Pappas, who’s been in the House since 2019, faces off against Karishma Manzur, a research scientist who identifies as a democratic socialist. Pappas brings experience and a moderate record; Manzur offers a fresh, progressive voice. Whichever Democrat clinches the nomination will likely confront the Republican hopeful in a November showdown that could swing either way.

South of the border, Rhode Island’s primary on Wednesday is shaping up as a personal showdown. Incumbent Governor Dan McKee is defending his seat against Helena Foulkes, a former CVS executive who challenged him four years ago and barely lost. This time, Foulkes has out‑raised McKee and is leaning heavily on a sore point for many residents: the Washington Bridge. Closed in 2023 for essential repairs, the bridge’s delayed reopening has become a symbol of governmental lag, with costs spiraling and timelines slipping.

Foulkes’s campaign ads keep flashing images of the bridge, arguing that the administration’s handling of the project reflects broader mismanagement. McKee, on the other hand, attacks her corporate background, painting it as out‑of‑touch with everyday Rhode Islanders. The two trade barbs, but the underlying issue remains the same—how to get the bridge fixed without draining the state’s coffers.

Whichever candidate wins the primary will likely have a comfortable path to the governor’s mansion in the general election, given the state’s recent Democratic tilt. Still, the primary itself is turning into a de facto referendum on leadership style, fiscal responsibility, and the ability to deliver on infrastructure promises.

Both primaries may not dominate the national news cycle, but they are emblematic of the larger political currents in New England. Voters are weighing experience against fresh perspectives, and they’re doing it while local issues—like a stubbornly closed bridge—loom large. The outcomes will set the tone for the 2026 midterms and could reshape the region’s representation in Washington.