Fridae

New Hampshire elected Democrat Chris Pappas to the U.S. Senate on November 3. The Associated Press called the race for Pappas over Republican John E. Sununu, making the New Hampshire congressman the first openly gay man elected to the chamber.

Pappas will succeed Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who did not seek another term. Pappas has served in the House of Representatives and co-chairs its Congressional Equality Caucus. In a June Pride Month note, Pappas wrote that he saw few openly LGBTQ+ people in public life when he was growing up.

The Senate reached an earlier milestone in 2012, when Wisconsin elected Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay person elected to the chamber.