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CONCORD, N.H. - (Gambling911.com) - A blue wave may be coming this midterm election in the United States but there is one potential flip for the Republicans. That's the New Hampshire senate race.
The state has not had a Republican senator in nearly a decade, nor has it voted for a Republican in a presidential election since 2000.
But polls in the New Hampshire senate race are showing a tight margin, and some national forecasters and pundits are joining the RNC in thinking Republicans have a chance of flipping the seat.
The oddsmakers are not on board just yet. BetOnline has the Democratic candidate, Chris Pappas, as a -800 favorite. John Sununu promises a $550 for every $100 bet should he go on to win.
Sununu is a known commodity in the state. He previously represented the state in the U.S. Senate from 2003–2009, and the Sununu name remains exceptionally well known: his father was governor and White House chief of staff, while his brother Chris Sununu was a popular four-term governor. The Cook Political Report moved the race from Lean Democratic to Toss Up on September 15.
Holding the seat is crucial to Democrats’ hopes of flipping the U.S. Senate, which is narrowly controlled by Republicans 53-47. BetOnline currently has the Democrats flipping the senate seat in North Carolina, Maine (at -200), Ohio (-180), Alaska (-300) and even Texas (-165).
Most polls have found Pappas with the slight edge, but Sununu was ahead by two percentage points in a University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll from Aug. 26 and by one point in a Fabrizio, Lee & Associates poll from Sept. 2. The latter is a Republican-sponsored poll, but Fabrizio is a “respected” pollster, USA Today points out.
“Republicans can absolutely flip this seat,” RNC spokesperson Kristen Cianci told USA TODAY. “Pappas and Sununu are neck and neck in the polls and the race rating just changed from a Lean D to a Toss Up. Democrats nominated a weak candidate with a dismal record who is failing right out of the gate. John Sununu has the vision, experience, and energy to flip this seat and send Chris Pappas packing.”
- T.C. Jackson, Gambling911.com
