Chris Pappas’s Lead Over Karishma Manzur Has Narrowed Since April, With Young And Independent Voters Favoring Karishma Manzur

EXETER, NH  (July 01, 2026) – The latest polls from the University of New Hampshire show that U.S. Senate candidate Karishma Manzur’s lead has increased from 18% to 29%, while Congressman Chris Pappas’s numbers have dropped from 61% to 53%.

The polls show that Pappas’s lead is mainly the product of name recognition, not voter loyalty. Only 7% of respondents indicated not knowing enough about Pappas compared with 54% of respondents who reported not knowing enough about Manzur. 

The results show that Manzur has a winning number of 63% when voters know about her platform.

Manzur has a commanding lead of 62% among voters aged 18-34 (compared to 15% for Pappas) and a commanding lead of 66% among independent/Republican voters (compared to 18% for Pappas).

Another notable finding is that Pappas’s unfavorability is at 20% compared with only 6% for Manzur. This translates into a favorable-to-unfavorable ratio of 3:1 for Pappas and a favorable-to-unfavorable ratio of 5:1 for Manzur.

Manzur is running a true grassroots campaign against an entrenched establishment candidate. Manzur is not taking a cent from corporate PACs, special interests, and foreign lobbies like AIPAC.

With two months to go until the Democratic Primary on September 8, Manzur has a clear path to victory as she and her army of volunteers continue to reach voters across the state introducing herself as a bold, honest, progressive candidate and explaining her strong policy platform of livable wages, affordable housing, universal childcare, and a humane foreign policy based on national interest, not war profiteering.