Two big congressional battles are brewing in New Hampshire for the 2022 election, both of which will test whether a fierce conservative can appeal to more moderate general election voters.
In the race for New Hampshire's U.S. Senate seat, incumbent Democrat Maggie Hassan is facing retired Army Brig. Gen. Donald Bolduc. In New Hampshire's first congressional district, incumbent Democrat Chris Pappas is facing 25-year-old Karoline Leavitt, a former assistant White House press secretary.
Fergus Cullen, a Dover city councilor and former head of the New Hampshire GOP, joined political reporter Alison King and political commentator Sue O'Connell to discuss the races during NBC10 Boston's political podcast, "Countdown to Decision 2022."
NH Senate Race
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Incumbent Democrat Sen. Maggie Hassan narrowly won her last election six years ago by just over 1,000 votes. Her Republican challenger, Don Bolduc, is trailing her by around seven points, according to the latest AARP poll.
"It's a race for her life right now, which I think folks didn't really expect to see," O'Connell said. "This seat is really a hot seat right now."
"I would be a little nervous if I was Maggie Hassan, even with that seven point lead," King said.
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Bolduc claimed during his primary campaign that the White House race was stolen from former President Donald Trump, King noted. Then, after Bolduc won the Sept. 13 vote, he said it wasn't. More recently, he has said he doesn't have enough information to make a conclusion.
"Look, Occam's razor prevails here. The most simple explanation is the one that's most likely to be true," Cullen said. "He does believe that there was fraud and that the election was stolen. He recognizes that's just not a winning position in a general election anymore."
Hassan is a "mediocre" member of the U.S. Senate, according to Cullen, and has struggled to get over 50% in any polls. But King noted that Hassan hangs her hat on an important dividing issue between the two candidates -- abortion.
"She is pro-choice. Don Bolduc, pro-life," King said. "Hassan is really hoping that the pro-choice voters in New Hampshire rally around this issue and get out and vote."
O'Connell noted that both candidates stand to lose votes to the Libertarian candidate, Jeremy Kauffman.
NH First Congressional District Race
Meanwhile, a similar battle is brewing in New Hampshire's first congressional district. Karoline Leavitt, a 25-year-old who worked in the Trump administration, is hoping to unseat Democratic incumbent Rep. Chris Pappas, a 40-year-old seeking his third term in office.
"She won the nomination as being the Trumpiest candidate in a field filled with Trumpy candidates," Cullen said. "She is a full-throated election denier, among other things, but she finds herself in a very competitive race. Chris Pappas finds himself in a situation that really, again, is not really in his control. The National tide is probably going to affect the outcome of this race a great deal."
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"Having covered Karoline Leavitt, you cannot discount that woman," King said. "Yes, she's young. She looks like a college student in many respects. But let me tell you, she is about the most confident politician on the campaign trail I have ever covered. She's extremely articulate, and, you know, whether you like her positions or not, she is an excellent campaigner."
The race is currently in a statistical tie, King said. The district, which covers the eastern part of the state and some of the south, including Manchester, has swung back and forth between Democrats and Republicans multiple times.
"It is one of the very few genuinely competitive congressional districts in the country," Cullen said. "It has switched party control several times this century. We have had incumbents of both parties be defeated in this race."
For more on this and other ballot questions, listen to the latest episode of our election podcast, "Countdown to Decision 2022."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
