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PRIMARY SEASON IS ALMOST OVER?!

The antepenultimate primary of the 2026 cycle was in New Hampshire yesterday where Karishma Manzur, a Muslim candidate, attempted to defeat the establishment and moderate candidate, but unfortunately fell short. The Republican Party, in the meantime, is starting its unprecedented midterm convention in Dallas today, and the expected anti-Muslim rhetoric is reaching a fever pitch.

Primary elections are often the most important in an election cycle, but too many Americans don’t bother to vote in them. Emgage Action’s goal is to help Muslims stay informed and engaged!

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NEW HAMPSHIRE

U.S. Senate

Rep. Chris Pappas won New Hampshire’s Democratic Senate primary, defeating Bangladeshi American Muslim Karishma Manzur 65% to 33%. Manzur, a first-time candidate and scientist, ran a campaign centered on Medicare for All, economic justice, and opposition to AIPAC’s influence in Democratic politics.

While Manzur did not win the nomination, her campaign raised $415,000 against Pappas’s $15 million but she was the second highest vote-getter in a 5-way race.

Pappas, whose grandfather is credited with creating the modern chicken tender, will now face former Sen. John Sununu, who won the Republican nomination, in November for the seat being vacated by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Sununu comes from a family of politicians, and will likely rely on that name recognition.

Governor

Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte easily won her primary Tuesday, setting up a November rematch with Democrat Cinde Warmington, who ran unopposed. Ayotte defeated Democrat Joyce Craig by 9.3 points in 2024, while Warmington lost the Democratic primary that year.

U.S. House: District 1

With Chris Pappas leaving the seat to run for Senate, Stefany Shaheen narrowly won the Democratic nomination in a crowded nine-way primary, defeating Maura Sullivan by roughly 1,700 votes. Shaheen, the daughter of retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, will face Republican businessman Anthony DiLorenzo, who won his primary with about 52% of the vote.

U.S. House: District 2

Staunch centrist Rep. Maggie Goodlander defeated progressive challenger Paige Beauchemin in the Democratic primary and will advance to November, where she will face Republican Lily Tang Williams. Goodlander, who recently joined other centrists against the specter of socialism in the Promise to America campaign, drew scrutiny during the primary over approximately $145,000 in contributions from AIPAC and affiliated pro-Israel groups, according to campaign finance disclosures.

OTHER POLITICAL NEWS

Unconventional RNC Midterm Convention?

Rep. The Republican National Committee opened its first-ever midterm convention Wednesday in Dallas, a two-day event built around President Donald Trump and the 2026 elections. More than 100 speakers are expected, with Trump headlining and JD Vance also speaking.

We’re watching the convention for two reasons. First, the scale: Republicans are using a presidential-style convention to make the midterms about Trump, whose approval rating was 33% in a late-August Reuters/Ipsos poll. Will spending money on pomp and circumstance work when people are paying $100 to fill up their cars? Time will tell.

Second, we’re also watching the rhetoric. Vance and other Republicans have repeatedly used anti-Muslim rhetoric against Muslim public officials, including Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. This comes amid a broader climate of rising anti-Muslim bias in the run up to the midterm elections.

The Dallas convention offers an early look at how the Republican Party will talk about Muslims in November, but specifically Muslims in politics. Considering how ugly it is now, we expect it will get uglier, which will put Muslims across the country at risk, something we saw last year in San Diego.

WHY IT MATTERS

Karishma Manzur lost, but she also won. She ran on Medicare for All, opposition to AIPAC money, and ending U.S. military aid to Israel. She was a first-time candidate, a Bangladeshi American Muslim scientist, and a refugee who spent two decades in medical research before launching a Senate campaign with little institutional backing. She did not win the nomination, but she built a campaign that forced issues of representation, money in politics, and U.S. policy toward Israel into a major Democratic primary. That advocacy should continue in New Hampshire, especially once the votes are tallied in November.

It’s going to be a close race in November in New Hampshire. Pappas will face Republican John Sununu for the open seat, making New Hampshire one of the closely watched Senate races of 2026. Pappas has received significant support from pro-Israel groups and has long supported U.S. aid to Israel, though he has recently shifted his rhetoric and voted “present” on an amendment restricting arms sales. He has also called Netanyahu’s actions “indefensible and unsupportable.” Manzur’s campaign pushed Pappas to the left, so we’ll see how he approaches them in the general election.

And then there’s Dallas... The Republican Party’s first midterm “Triump-a-palooza” is putting Trump and others on a stage as the party looks toward 2026. While prominent Republicans like JD Vance have made attacks on Muslim candidates such as Abdul El-Sayed part of the campaign conversation, that rhetoric just follows a Texas GOP convention where anti-Sharia messaging was everywhere. The rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric is dangerous, and Emgage Action will continue to call it out.

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What's next?

September 9: Rhode Island votes after Labor Day on a Wednesday, so you'll get an email from us tomorrow too. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

September 15: Delaware is the last state primary before November, phew!

November 3: The whole country votes in the general election!

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And that's it from us, folks. We will see you tomorrow!

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United States

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