Democrat Chris Pappas makes history as the first openly gay man in US Senate
"Win, lose or draw, I’m the luckiest guy because I’m married to a man I love."
Chris Pappas has been elected to the US Senate, becoming the first openly gay man to serve in the chamber.
On 3 November, the Democrat won New Hampshire’s Senate election with 56.2 per cent of the vote, defeating Republican John Sununu, who was seeking a return to the chamber after two decades.
In his victory speech, Pappas thanked his “amazing husband” Vann Bentley, saying: “He’s always been by my side. And look, tonight, win, lose or draw, I’m the luckiest guy because I’m married to a man I love. And despite all the negative attacks and lies, it’s nice to know that love and truth prevailed tonight.”
Pappas, who has been open about his sexuality throughout his political career, has represented New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district since 2019, becoming the first gay man to represent the state in Congress.
Following his victory, Pappas praised Sununu for making a “very gracious” concession call.
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“We the people are tired of attempts to distract us with culture war issues, whether we’re in a minority group or not. We the people know corporate interests use these issues to pit us against one another while they pick our pockets."
