The New Hampshire Democratic primary is happening today, and the Granite State’s “Live Free or Die” motto is getting one heck of a stress test. I joined Fox & Friends First to talk about the tightening U.S. Senate contest between establishment favorite Rep. Chris Pappas and democratic socialist Karishma Manzur. What looked like a sleepy coronation has turned into something Democrats can’t comfortably ignore.
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The New Hampshire Democratic primary tightened fast
New Hampshire voters are choosing nominees today for an open U.S. Senate seat, both U.S. House seats, governor and hundreds of state offices. The Senate opening exists because Jeanne Shaheen is retiring after three terms. Pappas entered this race with the endorsements, the organization and an enormous fundraising advantage. Manzur entered as the insurgent scientist and DSA member.
Then the gap narrowed. A late University of New Hampshire poll put Pappas at 47 percent and Manzur at 34 percent. That is still a lead, but it is close enough to make an establishment politician sweat—especially after a summer in which progressive candidates have shown they can turn low-probability primaries into very real problems.
The New Hampshire secretary of state confirms that voting is today, September 8, with the winners advancing to the November 3 general election. The Associated Press reports that Pappas faces four Democratic rivals while former senators John Sununu and Scott Brown lead an eight-candidate Republican field.
Socialism without the label
What caught my attention was not simply that Manzur is running as a democratic socialist. It was watching Pappas refuse to give a straight answer when asked where he stands on socialism. Instead, he reached for the usual language about building a big coalition and standing up to Donald Trump.
That is the political two-step: avoid the label while welcoming the agenda. Manzur says she is not interested in “isms,” yet points to Medicare for All, government-directed affordable housing and opposition to what she calls war profiteering as the fruits of democratic socialism. Call it whatever you like; taxpayers still receive the invoice.
And yes, Republicans should keep their own house in order. I recently made the same free-market case in my piece on JD Vance, socialism and the refrigerator story he got wrong. Big government does not become liberty just because your team is holding the pen.
The movement behind the candidate
The Fox segment also turned to streamer Hasan Piker, who has backed left-wing insurgents and is already talking up Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for 2028. He is not some random guy with a webcam. He has millions of followers, campaign reach and the ability to make candidates answer questions the Democratic establishment would rather avoid.
That makes today’s New Hampshire Democratic primary bigger than one race. If Manzur shocks Pappas—or even finishes far closer than expected—the socialist wing will claim momentum. If Pappas wins comfortably, the pressure does not disappear. The movement is building a bench, an audience and a presidential argument.
New Hampshire voters get the final word today. By tonight, we will know whether “Live Free or Die” survived the test—or whether socialism just planted a larger flag in the Granite State.
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