Chris Pappas Makes History as the First Openly Gay Man to be Elected to the U.S. Senate

Democratic U.S. Representative Chris Pappas of New Hampshire has officially won his race for the U.S. Senate, becoming the first openly gay man ever elected to the United States Senate!

Pappas, 46, defeated Republican John E. Sununu in the November 3, 2026, midterm election, securing the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen.

His victory marks only the third time in American history that an openly LGBTQ+ person has been elected to the U.S. Senate.

Before Pappas, that distinction belonged exclusively to LGBTQ+ women. Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin became the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to the Senate in 2012, taking office in 2013. She was followed by Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who was elected in 2018 as the first openly bisexual U.S. senator.

In 2023, Laphonza Butler also made history as the nation’s first Black lesbian U.S. senator. However, unlike Baldwin, Sinema, and Pappas, Butler was appointed to the position by California Governor Gavin Newsom rather than elected by voters.

So Gayes, why is this historic? Unlike a State Senate, which makes laws for an individual state, the U.S. Senate is part of Congress and helps shape federal laws and policies impacting the entire country. Each state elects two U.S. senators, for a total of 100 nationwide.

Pappas will officially take office in January 2027, adding another historic first to LGBTQ+ representation in the nation’s highest legislative chambers.