U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D- Minn.) was the surprise performer in New Hampshire’s 2020 First in the Nation presidential primary, finishing third — and with twice the support of eventual nominee Joe Biden.
But when she campaigns for U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Chris Pappas in Cheshire County on Friday, she may be the one who’s in for a surprise.
It’s no secret Klobuchar is considering a 2028 run for the White House. Why else would she come to New Hampshire to campaign for Pappas, who doesn’t even have token opposition for his party’s nomination? He didn’t even endorse her in the 2020 primary. (Pappas endorsed Biden in 2020 — but not until May, after he had secured the nomination.)
New Hampshire, with its reputation as a purple state where voters embrace moderation, would appear to be a good fit for the Minnesota Democrat. But after Trump’s big win in November, coupled with devastating losses at the state level, Granite State Democrats are feeling frustrated and feisty.
Thousands turned out for anti-Trump events like the “Hands Off” and “No Kings” rallies organized by 50501. When Democrats like Pappas have shown up, angry activists have confronted them, some waving “F*** ICE” signs. At the Hands Off protest in Concord, Pappas was forced from the mic when a pro-Palestine group sparked a scuffle.
At a U.S. Rep. Maggie Goodlander town hall in March, speakers were as likely to criticize the first-term Democrat as they were Donald Trump. Goodlander’s “I’m here to listen” messaging missed the mark.
“While we’re out here screaming into the void, we need to hear Congress screaming into the void as well,” one attendee told Goodlander.
“Could you get behind national boycotts of pro-Trump businesses? How about that?” another demanded of Goodlander. “How about national sit-down strikes? How about something that is actually a dynamic action? Are you willing to get arrested?”
Democrats across the country are encountering the same anger.
Talking to Axios on background, a House Democrat described what grassroots activists are saying.
“Some of them have suggested … what we really need to do is be willing to get shot” when visiting ICE facilities or federal agencies.
The article quotes another House member who told supporters, “When they light a fire, my thought is to grab an extinguisher. And someone at the table said, ‘Have you tried gasoline?'”
New Hampshire Democrats who spoke to NHJournal on background said they don’t believe the base here is as volatile as in other states. They note that while New York City Democrats just nominated Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken socialist and anti-Israel activist, New Hampshire is heading into 2026 with establishment candidates like Pappas and Stefany Shaheen, daughter of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.
“Amy (Klobuchar) will do fine here. She’ll get lots of smiles,” a New Hampshire Democrat said.
The Shaheen race, however, could also be telling a different story. Stefany Shaheen is the presumed frontrunner in the Democrats’ NH-01 primary, thanks almost entirely to her family name. On Thursday, she burnished those establishment bona fides by announcing the endorsement of former four-term Gov. John Lynch.
But not only has the Shaheen name not cleared the field, there are four other Democrats in the race — and still more on the sidelines.
Three of the other challengers are openly progressive: Harvard administrator Carleigh Beriont, nonprofit activist Sarah Chadzynski, and attorney Christian Urrutia.
The other Democrat, Maura Sullivan, ran as a moderate in her failed 2018 bid for the seat. But this time, she may be trying to match her party’s mood. An Iraq War veteran who served in the Obama administration may not sound like a Bernie Sanders pot-stirrer, but at a “No Kings” event in Portsmouth, she stopped to pose for a photo with a protester holding a “86 47” sign.
Sullivan then posted that photo on her social media. (“86 47” is shorthand for “Get rid of Donald Trump,” usually implying by violent means.)
After NHJournal reported on Sullivan’s post, the story went viral, and Sullivan was widely criticized for promoting violence against a president who was the target of two known assassination attempts.
But rather than apologize, Sullivan stood by her post. Her campaign manager referenced the shootings in Minnesota a few days earlier that took the life of one Democratic legislator and left another injured.
“Maura joined thousands of Granite Staters and millions of Americans in peacefully protesting Donald Trump’s use of our servicemembers as props for his political agenda,” campaign manager Nick London added.
Klobuchar’s previous New Hampshire visit was cut short by those shootings in her home state. They are one of many examples of political violence in recent months. The rising tide of political violence, largely from the left, has inspired complaints that Democratic rhetoric about “fascism” and the “death of democracy” is leading to real harm.
Republicans point to the months of attacks on Tesla cars and dealerships when Elon Musk was a Trump ally, and the riots and attacks from opponents of Trump’s immigration policy. That includes an ambush in Texas in which an agent was shot in the neck. There have been riots in Los Angeles in response to increased immigration enforcement.
New Hampshire has been largely free of political violence, but the temperature of the Democratic base is significantly higher than before Trump’s victory in 2o24.
Will potential 2028 presidential candidates like Klobuchar pump up the rhetoric? If so, they could be leading their party away from the political center where elections are won.
