Welcome to a special edition of At the Races! Throughout the 2026 primary season, watch for these updates from the CQ Roll Call campaign team on what you need to know for Election Day. Know someone who’d like to get this newsletter? They can subscribe here.
By Mary Ellen McIntire, Andrew Menezes and Daniela Altimari
Labor Day typically marks the kickoff of the general election campaign, but there are still a few primaries to settle first.
One of those states is battleground New Hampshire, where Democrats on Tuesday will wrap up a bitter battle to pick their nominee for the 1st District seat Rep. Chris Pappas is vacating to run for Senate.
Polls have shown a close Democratic primary race between Marine Corps veteran Maura Sullivan and former Portsmouth City Councilor Stefany Shaheen, the daughter of retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Several other candidates will appear on the ballot, including Hampton Select Board Chairwoman Carleigh Beriont, who is trying to stake out the progressive lane. Former Pentagon lawyer Christian Urrutia, who was also running as a progressive, dropped his campaign over the weekend and endorsed Shaheen. His name remains on the ballot.
