Sununu Adds Biz Endorsements, Hits 'California Chris' Pappas On Taxes

By Leonard Robinson, NH Journal

Two more business organizations endorsed U.S. Senate candidate John Sununu over Rep. Chris Pappas on Tuesday, and the New Hampshire Republican said the reason why can be seen in how the two candidates spend their weekends.

“He’s campaigning with Bernie Sanders, the hard left,” Sununu said. “He’s California Chris campaigning with Gavin Newsom, and I’m traveling across the state, meeting with small businesses, meeting with their employees, and finding out what they really need to grow and create opportunity in New Hampshire.”

Sununu’s remarks came as he was endorsed by the Associated Builders and Contractors of New Hampshire and the National Federation of Independent Business’s New Hampshire political action committee at an event at Decco, a family-owned mechanical and process piping contractor in Brookline.

Last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce threw its support to Sununu.

“John Sununu is exactly the type of candidate and person we look to endorse because he knows and understands the effects, both positive and negative, that the government can have on the small business community,” said Stephen McAllister, vice president of the Eastern Region at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Republican John E. Sununu’s business background spans engineering, manufacturing, consulting and corporate board service, while Democrat Chris Pappas’ private-sector experience centers on his family’s Puritan Backroom restaurant in Manchester.

Sununu, who holds engineering degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard, served as chief financial officer and director of operations at Manchester’s Teletrol Systems before entering Congress. After leaving the Senate, he worked in policy and business advisory roles and served on boards including Boston Scientific and Time Warner Cable.

Pappas, who earned a government degree from Harvard, began working at the restaurant as a teenager and later became a co-owner and manager, combining that work with service in state and county government before entering Congress.

“My background is in small business; I’m an engineer by training,” Sununu said. “When I come to a business like Decco, which is a classic New Hampshire small business, you’re talking about trades, training programs.”

The NFIB also endorsed Gov. Kelly Ayotte earlier this month.

“What it comes down to most is that small business owners know they can trust John Sununu to represent them in Congress,” John Reynolds, NFIB’s New Hampshire director, said. “They know that Senator Sununu will have their backs on the issues that matter most to them, whether it’s growing the workforce, cutting red tape, lowering the tax burden and securing a reliable, affordable supply of energy for the future.”

The business endorsements come as Sununu faces a difficult political environment, largely due to the current state of the economy, particularly high gasoline prices and inflation. Polls show voters blame President Donald Trump for the high cost of living, and Pappas has linked Sununu — who was endorsed by Trump — to the unpopular policies.

“Whether it’s the war and the gas prices, the tariffs, the cuts to health care that are driving premiums higher, my opponent in this race, John Sununu, supports this agenda and will be another vote to champion Trump’s policies and to enable this agenda in Washington,” Pappas said in an interview earlier this month.

At Tuesday’s press event, Sununu said his priority if elected would be to allow state officials to “invest in workforce issues that make sense for us,” whether it’s in skilled labor, such as welding, electrical, or construction, or high-technology professions, such as biotechnology.

Asked how he would support lowering operating costs for small businesses, Sununu said that his first measure would be to oppose any new taxes on small businesses, creating another contrast between his record and Pappas’.

“First and foremost, don’t raise taxes,” Sununu said. “I’m running against someone who’s voted on taxes 68 times, and every time he’s voted to raise it.”

The second step, Sununu said, would be to champion bipartisan efforts on permitting reform to let more energy reach New Hampshire.

“It’s a tragedy when we drag out decisions on important pieces of electrical transmission or delivery of clean, efficient energy with years and years of unnecessary litigation,” Sununu said. “Permitting reform should be bipartisan.”

Sununu touted his support for the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, which he called a step in the right direction. The legislation would set review deadlines and shorten the statute of limitations for lawsuits against new construction, while also expanding federal authority over interstate electric transmission systems.

Sununu, who said he would cosponsor the legislation, said it ensures that a timely decision is made on any new power source that would reach New Hampshire, such as a pipeline.

“It doesn’t guarantee that everything gets built, but it does guarantee a decision in a reasonable amount of time,” Sununu said. “That certainty is critical when we’re talking about the energy infrastructure that people in New Hampshire need.”

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.