Stefany Shaheen, the eldest offspring of long-serving Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, has announced her intention to follow her mother's political path.
On Wednesday, she declared her candidacy for the U.S. House in the open seat race in New Hampshires fiercely contested 1st Congressional District.
According to Fox News, Stefany Shaheen wasted no time in launching a broadside against President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, who is currently leading Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, and Congressional Republicans.
In her campaign launch video, Shaheen highlighted her role as a healthcare advocate for her daughter Elle, who suffers from Type 1 diabetes. She stated that the diagnosis transformed her "into a fierce fighter for medical research and innovation to help Elle and millions like her."
Shaheen expressed her concern about Trump's policies, stating, "So, when I see Donald Trump crushing medical research and slashing health care for kids, seniors and veterans to give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations, I have to fight back. Thats why Im running for Congress." She further added, "No one fights harder than a mom for her kids, and thats how I will fight for your family, too. Ill never give up."
In her video, Shaheen also criticized Musk for "chasing out our best scientists and doctors" and accused Kennedy of "allowing measles to run rampant because he believes in conspiracy theories instead of proven vaccines."
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the House GOP's campaign arm, criticized Shaheen for her family's political lineage. "Nepo baby Stefany Shaheen is a DC elitist who is committed to the Democrats radical agenda that makes life more expensive and less safe. Granite Staters will resoundingly reject her and her out of touch policies," NRCC spokeswoman Maureen OToole stated.
Stefany Shaheen is vying for the seat currently occupied by four-term Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who is campaigning to succeed the elder Shaheen, the first woman in U.S. history to be elected both as a governor and a U.S. senator. The 78-year-old senator announced in March that she would not seek re-election to the Senate in 2026.
Stefany Shaheen's decision to run, following her service on the Portsmouth City Council and the Portsmouth Police Commission, sets the stage for a likely high-profile primary with Maura Sullivan, a New Hampshire Democratic Party vice chair. Sullivan, a Marine veteran who served in the Iraq War and was the 2018 Democratic primary runner-up to Pappas in the 1st District, launched a congressional campaign last month.
New Hampshire's 1st District, which encompasses the eastern half of New England's only battleground state and includes the cities of Manchester and Portsmouth, was once one of the nation's most hotly contested congressional districts. Republicans are targeting the seat in next year's midterm election, and the race is expected to be competitive and costly. However, no Republican has won the district since 2014.
In the race for the GOP congressional nomination, facilities management executive Chris Bright, who ran unsuccessfully in 2024 for the seat, has declared his candidacy. Former state Sen. Russell Prescott, the 2024 nominee who lost to Pappas, is considering another run for Congress.
Other potential contenders include New Hampshire GOP Vice Chair Hollie Noveletsky and Joe Kelly Levasseur, who, along with Bright, came in behind Prescott in the 2024 GOP primary. State Attorney General John Formella is also thought to be a possible contender for the GOP nomination.
Login