Latest news with #StefanyShaheen
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hampton's Carleigh Beriont launches campaign for NH 1st District seat in US House
HAMPTON — Selectwoman Carleigh Beriont has entered the 2026 race for New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District, setting up a competitive Democratic primary showdown that currently includes Stefany Shaheen and Maura Sullivan. Beriont, a Harvard University lecturer and vice chair of the Hampton Select Board, made her announcement on June 4 at a press conference in front of the Hampton town offices. She said she was entering the race to 'fight for working families,' describing herself as 'not a career politician,' but 'a mom, an educator, a neighbor.' 'I've spent my life standing up for people who don't always have a voice in the room,' Beriont said in a press release ahead of her press conference. 'Now I'm ready to bring that same fight to Washington – not for the powerful, but for the rest of us.' U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-NH, previously announced he is running for U.S. Senate in 2026 when current U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's term is set to end. Shaheen is planning to retire after serving three terms. Shaheen's daughter, Stefany Shaheen, a former Portsmouth city councilor, and Maura Sullivan, vice chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, have already announced their candidacy to fill Pappas' seat. Beriont says her campaign will focus on building a grassroots coalition across the district 'grounded in listening, local engagement, and bold, people-first solutions.' She is hoping her message will help her defeat candidates with name recognition and better funding. 'I want my kids and all the kids in this district to grow up knowing that there is a seat at the table for them regardless of their last name or how much money they have,' Beriont said. Beriont described herself at her press conference before a small crowd as a mother with concerns like other families in CD1, from rising costs to challenges with insurance companies. 'I worry a lot about whether we are even going to be able to keep living in Hampton, this community that we love so much,' Beriont said. 'Like so many of us, a lot of mornings I wake up angry.' Beriont spoke about her concerns regarding President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. An adjunct lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School, she voiced concern her students could be targeted by ICE over their political statements, citing instances in which Harvard students were detained for social media posts and essays expressing support for Palestinians. 'I worry about whether one of my students is going to be picked up by ICE and deported because of something they wrote in the campus paper or posted on Instagram,' Beriont said. Beriont is optimistic Democrats will be able to win seats in 2026 following the Republicans winning the presidency and the majority of both chambers of Congress in 2024. She believes cultural divides between the parties can be bridged by her approach as a local elected official. She said Hampton is 'purple,' much like CD1. 'I sit at a table every Monday night with people from very different political parties, and we get together and we make things better for people in this community,' Beriont said. 'I think that's what I want to see down in D.C.' Other potential candidates have expressed interest in running for CD1. State Rep. Alice Wade, D-Dover, announced June 4 she launched an exploratory committee to consider a run for Congress. Wade, a transgender woman, has been a vocal advocate in Concord against legislation Democrats argue restricts trans rights. She is considering a congressional run to champion affordable housing, accessible healthcare, and representation for "everyday people." 'Washington is broken. Too many Granite Staters are working harder than ever but still falling behind,' Wade said in a press release. 'I'm exploring this campaign because our district deserves a representative… who will fight every day to make life better for regular people.' State Sen. Debra Altschiller, D-Stratham, said in April constituents encouraged her to run for CD1 and she was considering it. On June 4, she announced she would not be running for Congress and instead will pursue her third term in the state Senate in 2026. She said she plans to fight budget cuts that will harm community mental health centers, education and the fund supporting the victims of the youth center sexual assaults. 'As I look toward my tenth year of public service, I've spent time reflecting on where I can make the greatest impact - and I am incredibly grateful for the encouragement and support from my colleagues, community members, and supporters throughout this process,' Altschiller said in a press release. 'At this time, my work remains here in the Granite State.' Editor's note: State Sen. Debra Altschiller, D-Stratham, is the wife of Howard Altschiller, Seacoast Media Group's executive editor. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton's Carleigh Beriont running for NH 1st District US House seat
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stefany Shaheen kicks off 1st Congressional District Democratic primary bid
Stefany Shaheen kicks off 1st C.D. Dem primary bid Stefany Shaheen of Portsmouth, the eldest daughter of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., launched her Democratic primary bid for the too-be-vacant, 1st Congressional District seat. Health care advocate and businesswoman Stefany Shaheen, 51, launched her Democratic primary for the to-be-vacant, 1st Congressional District seat, vowing to push back against the Trump administration cuts to medical research and insurance for children. The eldest daughter of retiring U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen instantly becomes a leading contender to try and replace four-term U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, who is running for the Senate in 2026 to try and replace the elder Shaheen. The announcement creates a competitive primary between two Portsmouth Democrats, Shaheen and Maura Sullivan, a Marine Iraq War veteran and former Obama administration official who finished second to Pappas in 2018. Derry Republican businessman Chris Bright, who finished fourth in a 2024 primary in this district, is the only GOP figure to confirm that he'll be running next year. The top three finishers in that 2024 GOP primary, former Executive Councilor Russ Prescott, Greenland businesswoman and veteran Hollie Noveletsky and Manchester Board of Aldermen President Joe Kelly Levasseur, are all considering their own campaigns. Shaheen became a best-selling author of 'Elle & Coach' and an advocate when her eldest daughter, Elle, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at age 8. She founded Good Measures, a small business that provides clinical and nutritional support to people living with chronic conditions and was a named inventor of some of the company's patents. 'For 15 years I've been a fierce fighter for medical research and innovation in health care to help people like my daughter, Elle, battling chronic, life-threatening diseases, like diabetes. So, when I see Donald Trump crushing medical research and slashing health care for kids, seniors and veterans to give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations, I have to fight back,' Shaheen said. That's why I'm running for Congress,' said Shaheen. 'No one fights harder than a mom for her kids, and that's how I will fight for your family too. I'll never give up.' Craig Welch and Shaheen have four children. Stefany Shaheen kicks off 1st C.D. bid Stefany Shaheen, third from left, kicked off her Democratic primary bid for the First Congressional District seat. At far right is her husband, Craig Welch. Joined Kamen's ARMI team Shaheen released a two-minute video entitled, 'No One Fights Harder' as part of her campaign kickoff and planned to visit several communities in the 1st District the rest of this week. She is part of a biotech initiative in Manchester's historic millyard as the chief strategy officer for Dean Kamen's Advance Regenerative Manufacturing Institute. 'If you are as outraged as I am, get in this fight with me,' Stefany Shaheen said in the video. 'In New Hampshire, we stand up for each other. Let's do this.' A spokeswoman for the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee said Shaheen has made a career of climbing the ladder thanks to her last name. Stefany Shaheen kicks off 1st C.D. bid Stefany Shaheen, third from left, kicked off her Democratic primary bid for the First Congressional District seat. At far right is her husband, Craig Welch. "Nepo baby Stefany Shaheen is a DC elitist who is committed to the Democrats' radical agenda that makes life more expensive and less safe. Granite Staters will resoundingly reject her and her out of touch policies,' said Maureen O'Toole, the eastern regional press secretary for NRCC. A 'nepo baby' is a slang term referring to someone who has achieved success or opportunities due to familial connections. Shaheen's team created a website and released several testimonials to her candidacy. Andrea Amico, founder of Testing for Pease, said Shaheen became a champion for treating PFAS contamination found in the drinking water at the Pease International Tradeport. 'You could feel how deeply she related to the parents at Pease, who were worried about their children and the possible health effects from drinking contaminated water,' Amico said. 'Our fight was her fight, and she helped get the PFAS blood testing program, create the city's Community Advisory Board, and advocate for the first national PFAS Health Study to include our families,' Her elective office career began when she won election to a seat on the Portsmouth City Council where she worked to tackle a parking shortage and also served on the Portsmouth Police Commission. klandrigan@
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Longtime Democrat senator's daughter takes aim at Trump, Musk, RFK Jr, in launch for key House swing seat
The eldest daughter of longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire is taking a step to follow in her mother's political footsteps. Stefany Shaheen on Wednesday declared her candidacy for the U.S. House in the open seat race in New Hampshire's competitive 1st Congressional District. The younger Shaheen wasted no time in targeting President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, who has been steering Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, and Republicans in Congress. In a campaign launch video, Shaheen spotlighted her efforts as a healthcare advocate for her daughter Elle, who has Type 1 diabetes. Shaheen said the diagnosis turned her "into a fierce fighter for medical research and innovation to help Elle and millions like her." Marine Vet Jumps Into Race For Key House Seat In 2026 Battle For Majority "So, when I see Donald Trump crushing medical research and slashing health care for kids, seniors and veterans to give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations, I have to fight back. That's why I'm running for Congress," Shaheen said in a statement.. "No one fights harder than a mom for her kids, and that's how I will fight for your family, too. I'll never give up." Read On The Fox News App Shaheen, in her video, also charged that Musk has been "chasing out our best scientists and doctors" and claimed that Kennedy is "allowing measles to run rampant because he believes in conspiracy theories instead of proven vaccines." The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the House GOP's campaign arm, took aim at Shaheen over her famous family's political pedigree. This Longtime Democratic Senator Is Not Running For Re-election In 2026 "Nepo baby Stefany Shaheen is a DC elitist who is committed to the Democrats' radical agenda that makes life more expensive and less safe. Granite Staters will resoundingly reject her and her out of touch policies," NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O'Toole argued in a statement to Fox News. Shaheen is running for the seat currently held by four-term Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who is campaigning to succeed the elder Shaheen, the first woman in U.S. history to be elected both as a governor and a U.S. senator. The 78-year-old senator announced in March that she would not seek re-election to the Senate in 2026. The move by the younger Shaheen, who previously served on the Portsmouth City Council and the Portsmouth Police Commission, sets up a likely blockbuster primary with Maura Sullivan, a New Hampshire Democratic Party vice chair. Sullivan is also a Marine veteran who served in the Iraq War and was the 2018 Democratic primary runner-up to Pappas in the 1st District. Sullivan launched a congressional campaign last month. New Hampshire's 1st District, which covers the eastern half of New England's only battleground state and includes the cities of Manchester and Portsmouth, was once one of the nation's premiere swing congressional districts. Republicans are aiming to flip the seat in next year's midterm election, and the race is likely to be competitive and expensive. However, no Republican has won the district since 2014. In the race for the GOP congressional nomination, facilities management executive Chris Bright, who ran unsuccessfully in 2024 for the seat, has declared his candidacy. Former state Sen. Russell Prescott, the 2024 nominee who lost to Pappas, is mulling another run for Congress. So are New Hampshire GOP Vice Chair Hollie Noveletsky and Joe Kelly Levasseur, who, along with Bright, came in behind Prescott in the 2024 GOP primary. State Attorney General John Formella is also thought to be a possible contender for the GOP article source: Longtime Democrat senator's daughter takes aim at Trump, Musk, RFK Jr, in launch for key House swing seat
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stefany Shaheen launches 2026 campaign for NH 1st District seat in US House
PORTSMOUTH — Stefany Shaheen announced she is running for New Hampshire's 1st District U.S. House seat in 2026, and her message is direct. "Are you as outraged about what is happening in this country as I am? Donald Trump is taking a sledgehammer to medical research. Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes, it's horrible" she says at the opening of the video introducing her campaign. "For me, the motivation to get into this race is what's happening to health care in this country. It's been work of my life since my daughter Elle was diagnosed 17 years ago (with Type 1 diabetes)," Shaheen said in an interview May 28. "Watching what has happened in the last three months to National Institutes of Health funding and Medicaid and the impact on children's and veterans health care ... it's going to have a meaningful impact on people in this district." Stefany Shaheen commentary: It's time to channel our outrage into action Shaheen talks in her campaign video about how her young adult daughter Ellle's battle since childhood with Type 1 diabetes has turned her into "a fierce fighter for medical research and innovation to help Elle and millions like her." Shaheen said Trump, Elon Musk, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and congressional Republicans are threat to medical research and Medicaid. Shaheen's 2015 book 'Elle & Coach: Diabetes, the Fight for My Daughter's Life, and the Dog Who Changed Everything,' which she wrote with Mark Dagostino, became a New York Times bestseller. She has previously considered running for higher office, including governor in 2015, but decided against it. Shaheen, 50, a former member of the Portsmouth City Council and Police Commission, is seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat being vacated by Rep. Chris Pappas. Pappas is running in 2026 for the seat being vacated by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Stefany's mother. Stefany Shaheen previously endorsed Pappas, stating she would campaign with him. "I'm very proud of my mom's service," Shaheen said. "I am going to run a race focused on issues that matter to people in the district. I will focus on what experiences I can bring. I know what it's like to run a small business and worry about making payroll, and saving jobs in middle of pandemic. I'm going to work really hard to win every vote. I know the district very well. I grew up in the district and Craig (Welch, her husband) and I raised our family here." Shaheen, who co-founded Good Measures, a small business she touted as providing "clinical and nutritional support to people living with chronic conditions" stated she is now "part of a ground-breaking biotech initiative in Manchester ... to advance biomanufacturing and develop regenerative treatments for some of the toughest health problems – from treating injured war fighters to diabetes, lung disease, and more." Shaheen said she has heard from small business owners in the district who say Trump's tariffs are causing "constant pricing changes" that affect their customers and their sourcing of supplies. "The key to this campaign is hearing what the challenges are for people in this district and doing what we can to address them," she said. Asked how Democrats can change the momentum after 2024 when they lost the presidency, and with Republicans holding majorities in both chambers of Congress, Shaheen predicted Democrats will be successful nationwide in the 2026 midterm elections. "We're going to win the House and therefore hold the majority and stop some of the terrible steps this administration is taking," she said. Maura Sullivan previously announced she will run in the 2026 Democratic primary for the 1st District seat. Sullivan, 45, a New Castle resident, is a Marine Corps Iraq war veteran and former Obama administration official, serving in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. Several other local elected officials have said they are considering a run for the seat in 2026. Stefany Shaheen includes Portsmouth ties in her list of supporters in her campaign announcement, including praise for her work on the PFAS water contamination issue from Andrea Amico, the founder of Testing for Pease. Also included are Jay McSharry, a Portsmouth and Seacoast restaurant and hotel owner, Portsmouth Police Chief Mark Newport, and Corinne Lamond, who played for the Portsmouth High School volleyball team when Shaheen was the coach. This story has been updated to clarify Shaheen said she will campaign with Pappas. This story may be updated. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Stefany Shaheen launches 2026 run for NH 1st District US House seat
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stefany Shaheen, daughter of senator, launches House bid in New Hampshire
Stefany Shaheen, a former Portsmouth, N.H., City Council member and the eldest daughter of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), announced Wednesday that she would be running for New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District. In a roughly two-minute ad, first reported by WMUR, Shaheen highlighted her medical research and health background while attacking the Trump administration over its efforts to cut funding for research through its Department of Government Efficiency and its management of a measles outbreak. She noted how her daughter Elle's Type 1 diabetes diagnosis 'turned me into a fierce fighter for medical research and innovation to help Elle and millions like her,' which she said led her to later help start digital health company Good Measures. She also criticized President Trump for 'crushing medical research in our country,' described Elon Musk 'with a chainsaw chasing out our best scientists and doctors' and argued that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was 'allowing measles to run rampant because he believes in conspiracy theories instead of proven vaccines.' 'And when I see congressional Republicans slashing Medicaid, children's health care and veterans' health care, all to fund massive tax breaks for billionaires and corporations — well, I'm going to fight. And believe me, I know how,' she said. 'There's no one who fights harder than a mom for her kids, and that's how I'll fight for your family, too.' New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District is being vacated by Rep. Chris Pappas (D), who is running for Senate to replace retiring Jeanne Shaheen. Stefany Shaheen is the second Democrat to launch a bid for Pappas's seat. Maura Sullivan, who served as assistant secretary at the Veterans Affairs Department during the Obama administration, is also running for the seat. Stefany Shaheen's status as the daughter the retiring senator and former New Hampshire governor, however, offer an advantage to her in the House Democratic primary. The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates Pappas's seat as 'likely Democrat.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
