Out Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire (D) has been in the political arena since high school, when he volunteered for Democrat Jeanne Shaheen’s first successful campaign for governor of the state.
Now he’s running to succeed her as a United States Senator.
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Pappas, the presumptive favorite for the Democratic nomination in 2026, has been talked up for higher elective office since his own successful race for the New Hampshire House of Representatives right out of college. He was just 22.
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The political vet is a straight arrow in style and known for reaching toward the middle in a dogged search for consensus and “progress” on the big issues of the day. He faced blowback in December for being the only out member of the House to vote for the latest National Defense Authorization Act, legislation that ended gender-affirming care for trans youth of service members.
“The positives of the bill, specifically for my district,” took priority, he told LGBTQ Nation.
Pappas was exposed to politics early in life, as the great-grandson of a Greek immigrant whose ice cream shop evolved to become the Puritan Backroom restaurant in Manchester, for years a regular stop for candidates on the New Hampshire primary campaign trail. The Puritan, which Pappas still co-owns, also happens to be the 1970s birthplace of the classic chicken tender.
Another Pappas fun fact: He was a contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in the 2010s. Ironically, Pappas was stumped on a question about which president had the lowest overall approval ratings; the same question asked spontaneously in our interview got a rise and some laughs from the Senate candidate. This time, he knew the answer (it’s still Harry Truman).
Pappas spoke from his home in Manchester.
LGBTQ Nation: As we speak, President Trump is inching closer toward joining Israel’s war against Iran. If a war powers resolution is introduced to limit U.S. involvement, would you endorse it?
Rep. Chris Pappas: I’ve supported efforts in the past to make sure that Congress is cut into the conversation with respect to our national security, and I’ll continue to do everything possible to make sure that this administration is working with Congress to keep this nation safe. What we need to see is an administration that’s focused on exhausting all diplomatic options.
Do you think the president is swept up in the idea of bombing Iran at the expense of diplomacy?
The president is not effectively communicating with the American people at a really critical moment. It feels like he’s treating this more like an episode of a reality show, and the stakes are incredibly high for both our national security interests as well as American troops and citizens that are in the region.
It’s important to recognize that Iran is a state sponsor of terror, has been responsible for death and destruction in the region, and we are safer if Iran does not get a nuclear weapon. They shouldn’t be allowed to develop one. But we need to take those steps right now to make sure, diplomatically, that we are using every tool possible to ensure that’s the case.
The Supreme Court ruled this week in U.S. v Skrmetti that denying gender-affirming care to trans youth is not an issue of equal protection. Do you think it is?
Well, I’ve always said that I believe that healthcare should be between people and their doctors, and I believe that families should be able to access the care that they need. We need to continue to take steps to make sure that everyone is free to be themselves and to get the support that they deserve.
You were the only out U.S. representative to vote for the National Defense Authorization Act in December, which included a provision to deny gender-affirming care to the children of service members. Do you think they should receive that care, and what was the logic behind your vote?
Well, my vote was for our national defense — for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which has nearly 7000 civilian workers in my district, and to make sure that we’re supporting critical priorities with respect to national security. So, I was clear at the time about my opposition to that provision being included, and I regret that House and Senate negotiators couldn’t keep that provision out of the legislation.
With respect to the National Defense Authorization Act next year, I think it’s an important opportunity for people to come together around important priorities that we share, but not to play “culture wars” as part of that legislation.
You announced your campaign for the U.S. Senate in April and said you’re running to “take on the big fights,” in your words. What’s the single biggest fight you’d wage if you were in the Senate today?
Well, it’s lowering costs. It’s making this economy work for everyone. It’s ensuring that life is less expensive than it is right now. We got a lot of big promises from Donald Trump in the last campaign that that was the kind of leadership he was going to provide, and he’s done anything but that.
We have to focus like a laser on people’s day-to-day economics to make sure that we’re bringing down costs, and there’s a lot we can do on that front. That’s just one of the big fights.
There’s also a lot of work ahead to make sure that our democracy is strong and resilient. Every day, we see an administration that is violating our norms, is blowing through guardrails in the law. We have to make sure that we’re able to confront that in a way that doesn’t just defend democracy for democracy’s sake, but to make sure that it’s there to work for people and to make a difference in their lives.
You attended Harvard. How do you characterize Donald Trump’s assault on the school? What’s his end game?
Well, you’d have to ask him that. His attack on higher education, on basic research, on science, is taking our country in a dangerous direction.
In New Hampshire, the University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth are important hubs of academic research, but they also drive New Hampshire’s economy. That’s the case in every state and congressional district. The efforts to target higher education and to pull funding away from the kind of research that will keep America on the cutting edge is going to send that sort of innovative work and that economic benefit to other parts of the world.
That doesn’t look like a strategy to put America first.
This interview will be published as part of our coverage of the 10th anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruling that made marriage equality the law of the land. Several states, along with the Southern Baptist Convention just two weeks ago, are calling on the court to overturn the ruling, as it did with Roe. What are the odds that happens, and what do you say to the court members on record endorsing the move, Justices Thomas and Alito?
The fact that Roe has fallen means that other decisions, from Lawrence v Texas to Obergefell to Griswald, are also at risk of falling should the court continue to move in the direction of Justice Thomas and those who share his worldview.
I think about the opportunity that I’ve been given to be able to be myself and to be a full-fledged member of society as a gay man. I was proud to be able to marry my husband a couple years ago, and we’re better off as a country when people can be themselves and live openly and authentically.
Any sort of effort by the court to roll back the progress that we’ve made strikes at the core of who we are as Americans. We’re a nation that is built on fairness, on equal justice. We didn’t have that at the beginning, but we have fought hard through the generations to make sure that that promise reaches each and every person in our society.
That’s why electing voices to the United States Senate who will be voting on future Supreme Court nominations and judicial nominations is incredibly important to what the future of America will look like, to what the ability of our democracy is to recognize the dignity of each and every person, and to the ability of people to live freely. That’s something that’s going to be on the ballot next year.
How old were you when you came out?
I was in college. It was a process that took a few years and started with close friends and family members. So, I was in my late teens and early 20s.
As you mentioned, you married your husband, Vance Bentley, in 2023. Who proposed to whom, and how did it go down?
Well, we’d talked about it a lot, so I don’t think it was coming out of left field, but I was the one that, you know, broached the subject again in a more formal way, and it didn’t take a lot of convincing.
(Laughing) I don’t remember exactly what I said, but we’re really happy and also just feel incredibly lucky to have the support of our families, who have been there with us every step of the way.
In 2020, you were attacked by your Republican opponent for Congress over your relationship with your now-husband, who is a lawyer and was a corporate lobbyist for Amazon until 2019. What did you both learn about navigating your relationship and a heated campaign at the same time, and will you do anything differently in your Senate run?
Well, I’m always happy to have the support that I get from my husband, and he’s been there 100% of the way in terms of the step that I’m taking. In politics, you could not do something like this without having supportive family behind you.
I understand that this will be an incredibly competitive race for Senate, and we know that Republicans will come at this seat with everything they’ve got. But when you sign up to run for office, you understand that there are going to be a lot of unfair attacks that come your way. We’ll be ready for the fight next fall.
You’re both pretty young: You’re 45 and your husband is 35. Do you see kids in your future?
Well, we’ve got lots of amazing nieces and nephews in our lives, and we love being uncles. But it’s certainly something we’re thinking about as we think about the future. It’s something we’re considering.
You were elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2002 straight out of college. The average age of U.S. senators is about 64 years old, and the Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, is 74. Your own senator, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire (D), is 78. Is the Senate too old to accurately represent the typical American, who is 38, or does age bring wisdom that Americans can benefit from?
Well, I appreciate the experience that many have around the table, but I think we need a House and a Senate that has people representing all walks of life, diverse backgrounds, and different professional experiences.
I’m really grateful for the work that Senator Shaheen has done for the people of New Hampshire throughout her time in public office. As the ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee, she’s literally standing up for democracy around the world, and she can continue that work while she also thinks about passing the torch to me and allowing me to continue our fight on behalf of the people of New Hampshire in the United States Senate.
This is an important moment for representation in the United States Senate — full representation — whether that be different age demographics or the LGBTQ community. Right now, [Wisconsin Democrat] Tammy Baldwin is the only out LGBTQ member of the Senate, and so we have an opportunity to increase that in a way that can help bring to bear our lived experiences.
You’ve served on several committees covering issues affected by climate change. What’s the single most important thing the world should do to address the climate crisis? You can only answer one.
Can only answer one. Well, I would say then, working on developing more renewable energy sources. We need to be reducing our carbon footprint, lowering emissions, and diversifying how we source our energy in a way that creates a more sustainable future. I was proud to support the Inflation Reduction Act to spur renewable energy development.
Would you support national mandatory service for young people in the military or some other form of public service of their choosing, like the Peace Corps or Teach for America?
I wouldn’t make it mandatory, but I think we should expand opportunities and incentives for young people to serve our country.
Unfortunately, we’ve seen some cuts moving us in the wrong direction, funding that the Trump administration is seeking to pull back from AmeriCorps and other programs that are critically important at spurring more people to serve, but also meeting the needs of our communities.
How do you describe the role of the Senate in forming policy and making law compared to the House?
Well, the Senate certainly functions on consensus and on relationships, and that’s something that I’ve always tried to do during my time in public service. The House is much more of a majoritarian entity than the Senate, where you have to count to 60 — you need Republicans and Democrats working together on a lot of the big issues to ensure that legislation is going to move. That’s the kind of senator that I want to be.
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