New Hampshire primary voters are selecting candidates for Congress, the governorship, and the 424-seat state Legislature on Tuesday, and familiar names on the ballot extend beyond the incumbents.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's decision not to seek reelection has triggered a series of highly competitive races.

Two of the eight Republicans hoping to replace the three-term Democrat are former U.S. senators she had previously defeated: John E. Sununu and Scott Brown.

The five-way race for the Democratic nomination includes U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, whose departure from his 1st Congressional District seat has, in turn, attracted a large number of candidates.

Shaheen’s daughter, Stefany Shaheen, is among those vying for the Democratic nomination for Pappas’ seat, alongside former candidate Maura Sullivan.

Several other contenders in prominent races are likewise making repeat bids.

Having spent six years in the U.S. House and one term in the Senate before Shaheen defeated him in 2008, Sununu has this time centered his campaign on issues such as affordable housing, healthcare, and energy, as well as making Congress more accountable and providing attentive service to constituents.

“I have been out of politics for 17 years.

I am not concerned about reelection,” he said during a campaign stop last month.

“I require neither an appointment nor a job.

I have no need to please anyone.

My sole objective is this: to stand up for the people of New Hampshire.”

Brown had previously represented Massachusetts, having secured a special election victory in 2010 following the death of Senator Ted Kennedy, only to lose his seat in 2012.

He mounted an unsuccessful challenge against Shaheen in 2014 and later served as ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa during President Donald Trump’s first term.

In a July interview, he said he chose to run again because New Hampshire Republicans have no voice in Congress and because, as he sees it, his experience as a veteran, lawmaker, ambassador, and grandfather is second to none.

He accuses Sununu — whose father and younger brother both served as governors — of relying on his family's reputation rather than his own merits.

Although Sununu has secured Trump's endorsement despite previously calling him “a loser” in 2024, Brown argues that this support will simply make him answerable to the president and other special interests.

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"I am the only genuinely independent candidate here who can vote on any issue with a clear conscience and with New Hampshire's best interests at heart," Brown said.

Jim Loomis, 83, of Bow, said he had supported Brown in 2014 but declined to do so on Tuesday, explaining that “he never got traction back again.”

He acknowledged that Sununu had been out of politics for an even longer stretch, yet he still cast his vote for him.

"His career path over the years has, I think, kept him sufficiently in touch with current affairs, and with his family connections, he appears to have a more stable foundation," he said.

Pappas, who is leaving his House seat after four terms, raised twice as much money as Sununu and Brown combined and also outperformed his Democratic primary opponents.

He also held a significant lead in the polls, although he has recently lost some support to scientist and democratic socialist Karishma Manzur.

Kristin Selesnick, 41, of Bow, remarked that Pappas was a “fine” candidate; however, she disapproves of his acceptance of funds from super PACs and his vote of “present” on a measure aimed at restricting weapons sales to Israel, rather than casting a vote against it.

She cast her ballot for Manzur.

“I find her entire platform genuinely compelling,” she remarked.

“I believe she would serve as an exceptional advocate for the Granite State.”

Stefany Shaheen and Sullivan stand out as the foremost contenders among seven candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in the 1st District.

Shaheen, a former city councilor in Portsmouth, established a business aimed at supporting individuals with chronic medical conditions following the diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes in one of her daughters.

Additionally, she participates in a biotech initiative in New Hampshire focused on advancing regenerative medicine.

Sullivan, a former Marine and Iraq War veteran, previously held the role of assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs during the Obama administration.

As vice chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, he made his initial bid for Congress in 2018, competing for the 1st District seat but ultimately losing to Pappas in an 11-candidate primary.

The Republican field of four contenders includes political newcomer Anthony DiLorenzo, who owns a chain of car dealerships and has received Trump's endorsement, as well as Hollie Noveletsky, a veteran and nurse practitioner who runs a steel fabrication company and previously sought the same seat two years ago.

In the 2nd District, first-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Maggie Goodlander is facing a primary challenge from Paige Beachemin, a progressive state legislator and nurse.

The four-person Republican primary field includes Lily Tang Williams, who was the nominee two years ago and is now seeking the seat for the third time.

Whereas the congressional delegation is uniformly Democratic, the state government is overwhelmingly controlled by Republicans.

Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte faces two relatively unknown contenders in her primary as she seeks a second two-year term, while Cinde Warmington, a healthcare attorney, runs unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Voters will also be nominating candidates for the entire state Legislature, where Republicans command a roughly 40-seat majority in the 400-member House and outnumber Democrats in the Senate 16-8.

Accustomed to leading the pack in presidential primaries, New Hampshire now finds itself among the last states to conduct its state-level primary elections, affording the victors a mere eight weeks to court voters ahead of Nov. 3.

However, legislation enacted this year reschedules future state primaries to the second Tuesday in June.