ellwether New Hampshire, Chris Pappas is re-elected as incumbent Democrat Rep. Chris Pappas, the incumbent Democratic Democratic Representative, won re-election Tuesday in New Hampshire’s first congressional district after defeating Karoline Leavitt, the Republican challenger. Incumbent Pappas was the first openly gay member of Congress in New Hampshire. Since 2019, he has been representing this district. 25-year old Leavitt is Pappas’ GOP opponent. He is an ex-assistant press secretary for Trump and former communications director for Elise Stefanik, House Republican Conference Chair. HTML3_ MIDTERM ELUTIONS 2022: LIVE UPDATE Inflation was the main theme of the race. Leavitt blamed household budget concerns as well as high electricity bills on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s agenda. During the Oct. 25 debate between both candidates, illegal migration and ongoing opioid crisis were major points of contention. “Congressman, respectfully,” Leavitt said to Pappas. The debate also covered abortion, with Leavitt supporting the state legislatures deciding limits on abortion, and Pappas advocating for abortion access at federal level. Pappas raised significantly more than Leavitt. He brought in $4.2 million as of Sept. 30, compared to Leavitt’s $2.6 million. Fox News’ Alexandra Orbuch contributed this report.