Wednesday night’s primetime debate between Democratic U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas and GOP challenger Russell Prescott saw the three-term incumbent unafraid to repeatedly interrupt and call out his Republican rival.
And Prescott, who served alongside Pappas on the Executive Council for several terms after a stint in the state Senate, never once tried to return the favor.
The hour-long televised debate, hosted by WMUR, touched on flashpoint issues including abortion, inflation, immigration and housing. With less than a week remaining until Election Day, the latest St. Anselm College Survey Center poll has Pappas leading Prescott, 50 to 43 percent.
The evening’s proceedings started out in Prescott’s favor as the initial topic focused on rising inflation that occurred under his incumbent opponent’s watch. Pappas was specifically asked about his role in ushering in more than $7 trillion in new federal spending.
The incumbent Democrat proceeded to tick off a list of initiatives he’s “taken on,” including “prescription drug companies” and his support for “cutting taxes for working families” and “investing in affordable housing and child care.”
When the question came to Prescott, the former executive councilor cited his past work as a state senator.
“We were able to solve a budget deficit of one percent that year,” Prescott said, without identifying the specific year. “We should be able to do that in Washington.”
And when the topic shifted to health care — after being pressed on rising rates of premiums — Pappas pivoted to his record.
“I support market-based solutions, so that’s why I support the Affordable Care Act,” he said.
Prescott, asked about recent rumblings among GOP leaders in Congress about revisiting the ACA, said his “mind has not changed” and that “the one thing that we need to do to lower health care costs is to make sure our economy is strong and businesses are profitable.”
Before WMUR moderator Adam Sexton could say “next question,” Pappas promptly cut him off.
“I didn’t really hear an answer there about defending the Affordable Care Act,” Pappas said. “I think that’s important, given the context of this debate and what national Republicans are looking to do.
“They’ve been trying to dismantle it for over a decade. If they get the majority, they’ll absolutely move in that direction.”
Prescott calmly addressed Pappas’ claim — a pattern that repeated itself throughout the debate.
“I do appreciate the criticism that Chris Pappas has, but it is misplaced,” Prescott said.
When the topic flipped to illegal immigration — an issue 2024 polling shows an overwhelming majority of Granite Staters are concerned about — Pappas cited “bipartisan” legislation he claims was sunk by GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump because it’s “an issue he can use in the campaign.”
“I have pushed the Biden administration to develop policies through executive orders that can help create a more secure situation at the border,” Pappas added.
Yet when the topic was posed to Prescott, Sexton adjusted the question to ask whether he’d support “mass deportations” and whether the “economic impact” would justify it.
“Yes, because we need to enforce our laws,” Prescott said, matter-of-factly. “Those laws were promulgated by Republicans and Democrats.”
Prescott never attacked Pappas on his voting record on immigration, including his votes against a border wall and in favor of allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S. without facing deportation.
On abortion, Pappas was asked point blank: “Is there a point when the unborn child should have legal protections?” He refused to answer, but suggested that there should be no limits on abortion at any time during a pregnancy.
“I trust women to make this deeply private, personal decision,” Pappas said, before targeting Prescott’s defense of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that returned regulation of abortion to the states.
“He supported taking away a woman’s right to choose and handing over this issue to politicians and judges,” Pappas said about Prescott. “And now we have a third of women in America that are living in a state where abortion is essentially banned outright.”
Prescott again answered delicately, avoiding Pappas’ stance on abortion and instead discussing the fundamentals of constitutional governance.
“I do appreciate Chris for bringing that forward,” he said. “I support states’ rights and making sure that we protect our Bill of Rights.
“It’s in the oath of office, and the Bill of Rights says, if the states don’t give up that right, it should stay with the states. So that’s where I stand.”
Pappas, once again, aggressively interjected.
“Well, states rights is one thing, but what about women’s rights?” he said. “I fundamentally believe that this district deserves a champion for reproductive freedom.”
Following the debate, Prescott spokesman Michael Biundo declared a win for his candidate.
“Unlike Congressman Pappas, Prescott calmly outlined his solutions to secure the border, reduce inflation, and fix the housing crisis, and that’s why the momentum is behind Prescott and why he will win on Tuesday,” Biundo said in a statement.
The National Republican Congressional Committee also scored the night a win for Prescott.
“Tonight, Russell Prescott showed why he is the best choice for New Hampshire’s First Congressional District,” NRCC Spokeswoman Savannah Viar said in a statement. “He is the only candidate in this race that will work to secure the border and bring down costs.”
New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley offered up a different assessment.
“If the Pappas vs Prescott debate was a boxing match it would be already called and Pappas declared the champion,” Buckley posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “This is a knockout.”
