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Chris Pappas
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Chris Pappas
U.S. Congressman
b. June 4, 1980
“There are ways that you can help people and ways that you can actually get things across the finish line.”
Democratic Representative Chris Pappas is the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent New Hampshire in the U.S. Congress.
A descendant of Greek immigrants, Pappas was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire. He began his political journey as a public high school student, volunteering for Jeanne Shaheen’s gubernatorial campaign. In 2002, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Harvard College.
After graduation, Pappas returned to New Hampshire to help run the family’s 108-year-old business, the Puritan Backroom Restaurant, a Manchester ice cream shop turned tavern-style eatery. The same year, he also ran for the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Elected in 2002, at age 22, he served two terms.
In 2011, Pappas appeared on the television show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” and won $17,500. The following year, he won a seat on the New Hampshire Executive Council, where he served three terms (2013-2019). On the Council, he worked to expand Medicaid, invest in renewable energy, and protect funding for Planned Parenthood.
In 2018, Pappas announced his bid to represent New Hampshire’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He won the Democratic nomination, beating 10 other contenders, and defeated his Republican opponent in the general election, securing 53.6% of the vote. The victory made him the first openly gay man and first out LGBTQ+ person to represent New Hampshire in Congress. He has been reelected three times (2020, 2022, and 2024).
As a U.S. congressman, Pappas has supported tax cuts for working families and small businesses, taken on companies that target veterans and pollute water, and pushed big pharma to lower drug costs. He serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure and Veterans’ Affairs committees.
A moderate known for working across the aisle, Pappas was ranked the most bipartisan Democrat in the House, and the third overall, by the Lugar Center in 2023. He supported the Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling protecting LGBTQ+ workers and co-sponsored the Equality Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. After the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, he advocated for the restoration of abortion rights nationwide.
Pappas married Vann Bentley in 2023. The couple lives in New Hampshire, where Pappas co-owns the family restaurant. In April 2025, Pappas entered the 2026 race for a U.S. Senate seat representing New Hampshire. He is the first out gay man to run in the general election for the U.S. Senate.
