A top Republican in the U.S. House says New Hampshire is on the GOP’s radar for 2026 — and the state’s all-Democratic congressional delegation’s decision to support the government shutdown will hurt them next November.
On Wednesday, Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen once again backed the Democratic filibuster blocking a continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the federal government at current levels. It’s the same CR they supported in March.
Reps. Maggie Goodlander and Chris Pappas both voted against the CR when it came before the House last month.
Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) told NHJournal the Democrats’ shutdown will have real-life impacts on the Granite State.
“The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) estimates that New Hampshire’s gross state product is going to decline by $62 million every week the shutdown continues,” Emmer said. “That’s the equivalent of $270 million per month while the government is shut down. And that’s the direct responsibility of Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen.”
Emmer is the House majority whip — the third-highest-ranking Republican behind the speaker and majority leader. He’s participating in his party’s efforts to pressure Democrats to end their filibuster and allow the government to reopen. Democrats like Hassan and Shaheen say they won’t support the CR unless it includes roughly $340 million in additional spending for Obamacare subsidies.
Republicans say that holdout comes at a cost.
“Checks to our troops will be held up if this isn’t worked out by the 15th,” warned Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.).
“They voted that they did not want the troops to be paid. They did not want TSA (Transportation Security Administration) agents to be paid. They did not want air traffic controllers, Border Patrol agents, and all the rest,” Johnson said of House Democrats like Goodlander and Pappas.
“They live with that vote. They made that decision. The House is done. The ball is now in the Senate’s court.”
Emmer provided NHJournal with a list of the fiscal consequences New Hampshire faces:
- In a government shutdown, most federal workers are furloughed or required to work without pay. In New Hampshire, there are about 9,000 federal workers — roughly 1.3 percent of the state workforce.
- SNAP benefits continue for approximately 30 days before disruptions begin. In New Hampshire, around 76,000 people receive SNAP benefits, including an estimated 29,000 children.
- Benefits may be delayed for those who receive Social Security by check instead of direct deposit. In New Hampshire, about 1,300 seniors still receive paper checks.
Emmer dismissed claims by Goodlander and Pappas that Republicans are keeping the government closed, pointing out that a “clean” CR is the same measure Democrats voted for 13 times under President Joe Biden.
“This is why Donald Trump got 77 million votes last fall. Voters are sick and tired of this nonsense,” he said.
But what about New England, where Trump’s approval remains low and there isn’t a single Republican in Congress? Have Republicans written off the region?
“Absolutely not,” said Emmer, who led the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles.
“When we were running the NRCC, our goal was to pick up one to five New England seats. Obviously, we weren’t successful. One problem we had: for whatever reason, your governor (Chris Sununu) was unwilling during redistricting to make one seat Republican and one seat Democrat,” Emmer said.
“But I think we still have a shot in New Hampshire in 2026.”
Emmer believes the Trump presidency has shifted blue-collar voters toward the GOP, and they’re not going back.
“Trump has made it OK for those people to vote Republican. They aren’t going to call themselves ‘Republican’ today, but they’re becoming more and more comfortable with what we stand for. They’re our voters now.”
And what about college-educated, affluent suburban voters who have moved toward Democrats? How can Republicans win them back?
“Eventually, all that intelligence they’re buying will have to come into play,” Emmer said.
“Just because you want to be invited to the right cocktail parties or included in the right fraternity or sorority — at the end of the day, this is really about being able to chase your American Dream. And the Democratic Party they want to support — my grandfather’s Democratic Party — is gone.”
Emmer had plenty of good news for New Hampshire Republicans, but there’s one issue where he’s not on board: the First-in-the-Nation presidential primary. Emmer’s home state of Minnesota has long lobbied to move up in the presidential nominating calendar, and he’s not ready to give up.
When asked if the Granite State should continue to go first, Emmer replied, “Absolutely not.”
“I think Minnesota should be the first — although now that Tim Walz is running for a third term, maybe I should reconsider,” he said with a laugh.
