On paper, U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) should be one of the congressional Democrats publicly calling for his party to push President Joe Biden off the 2024 ticket.
Pappas styles himself as an independent voice in his party, touting his recently-awarded title of “the most bipartisan member of the House.” His district is (once again on paper) even split between Republican and Democratic voters, according to the most recent Cook Political Voting Index. Donald Trump narrowly won the district in 2016, then lost it handily to Joe Biden in 2020.
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So, when reports began to circulate that moderate Democrats in swing districts were considering releasing a letter calling for Democrats to abandon Biden’s candidacy in the wake of his debate performance fiasco, the assumption was that Pappas would be on the list.
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And unlike his fellow Granite State Democrat, U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, Pappas hasn’t praised Biden or pledged his support since the debate. Instead, Pappas had a carefully measured response:
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“People were disappointed with what they saw last week, and I think it’s up to President Biden to answer what kind of path he can be on for the future to restore confidence or to pass the torch,” he told WMUR.
But nearly two weeks after Biden’s debate performance that left between 70 and 80 percent of Americans telling pollsters he’s not physically and mentally fit to serve, Pappas is still silent. When approached earlier this week and asked directly if he believes Biden is up to the job (see video), Pappas just kept walking.
He’s also declined to respond to approximately a dozen requests for comment about the ability of Biden to serve another four years as chief executive.
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“He got the message: ‘Fall in line, Buttercup,’” a New Hampshire Democratic activist told NHJournal on background.
The Pappas case echoes recent developments out of Washington, D.C. A week ago, many campaign professionals were saying publicly that Biden would be forced out, and the biggest push would come from congressional Democrats in competitive districts.
Now the headlines read, “How Biden Froze Capitol Hill — For Now,” and “Democrats Effort to Push Biden Off Ticket Hits Uncertainty.”
And Axios reported a Tuesday morning meeting of swing-district Democrats involved “actual tears” as they acknowledged their colleagues were going to stand behind Biden.
According to Axios, the mood among these vulnerable Democrats was “pretty much unanimous” that Biden has “got to step down,” adding, “There were actual tears from people, and not for Biden.”
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Instead, they concluded “Most of our caucus is still with him … meaning he’ll stay in. Which sucks for our country,” one House Democrat told them.
However, a ninth House member, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), publicly call for a new presidential nominee on Tuesday. Like Pappas, she’s in a swing district in the northeast.
With Biden adamantly declaring he’s not stepping down, and top Democrats appearing to rally around him, more people in the party appear to believe the political risks are too high.
“I wish I was more brave,” one Democratic state party chair who thinks Biden should step aside told NBC News.
“I would be crucified by them if I spoke out of line,” the chair continued. “I know when you get out of line they all of a sudden have a shift of priorities and your races, your state is no longer on the map.”
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Therefore, the argument goes, why should Pappas break with the pack? He may agree with most Americans that Biden is too infirm to serve, but saying so won’t help him in November.
Then again, it may not matter.
“Donald Trump is on track, I think, to win this election and maybe win it by a landslide and take with him the Senate and the House,” said U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) in a CNN interview Tuesday night.
Pappas declined to comment for this article.
This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.
WILTON, N.H. (WHDH) – A woman died in a Wilton, New Hampshire, house fire Wednesday morning, according to the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office.
At 9:08 a.m., Wilton firefighters responded to Burns Hill Road after a caller said their home was filling up with smoke. When they arrived, a single-family home was on fire and they found out two people were still inside on the second floor.
A man and a woman were both taken out of the house by firefighters and taken to Elliott Hospital. The woman was pronounced dead and the man is in serious condition.
Officials have not released the name of the victim at this time.
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At this time, investigators are looking into the cause of the fire and are trying to determine if a power outage in the area played a factor. The fire is not currently considered suspicious.
(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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Diane Durgin, 67, is accused of shooting at a Black man who inadvertently drove to her property after a prearranged truck part sale, prosecutors said.
A New Hampshire woman is accused of violating the state’s Civil Rights Act four times after she allegedly shot at a man because he was Black, prosecutors said.
Diane Durgin, 67, of Weare, N.H. could face up to a $5,000 fine for each violation she is found to have committed, the office of New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in a press release Tuesday.
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Durgin is also charged with criminal threatening against a person with a deadly weapon and attempted first degree assault with a deadly weapon, Michael Garrity, a media representative for the New Hampshire Attorney General, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.
Durgin had a final pre-trial conference last week, Garrity said.
In a civil complaint filed Tuesday, Durgin is accused of threatening physical force against the victim, the AG said. Prosecutors asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction barring Durgin from repeating her alleged behavior and from contacting the victim and his family.
During the morning hours of Oct. 20, 2024, the victim claims, he “mistakenly” drove to Durgin’s home after a prearranged purchase of a truck part with a seller online, prosecutors wrote as part of their request for an injunction.
When the man — whom prosecutors identified in court documents as X.G. — arrived, Durgin allegedly stepped out of her home and approached his car with a gun “holstered by her waist,” prosecutors wrote.
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Upon noticing that X.G. was Black, Durgin allegedly “removed her gun and pointed it at X.G.,” prosecutors said in the injunction request.
While X.G. explained that he was lost, Durgin called the victim a “Black mother[expletive],” and threatened to “kill him,” prosecutors allege.
As the victim attempted to drive away, Durgin allegedly took her gun and fired two shots at the fleeing man’s car, missing both times, the AG’s office said.
While on the phone with a dispatcher, Durgin allegedly said she shot the man’s car because the victim is Black, the AG said.
“The guy is Black. And he, he…he says he’s meeting someone here and I think he’s coming here to steal,” Durgin allegedly said.
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Police located X.G. and brought him to the Weare Police Department, stopping along the way at the correct seller’s home to complete the truck part purchase, prosecutors wrote in court documents.
To prove a violation of the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act, the AG must show that Durgin “interfered or attempted to interfere with the rights of the victim to engage in lawful activities by threatening to engage in or actually engage in physical force or violence, when such actual or threatening conduct was motivated by race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or disability,” prosecutors said.
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