Stefany Shaheen, the eldest daughter of retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen, launched her campaign Wednesday for New Hampshire’s First Congressional District, setting up a contested Democratic primary ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Shaheen, 51, a business leader and former Portsmouth City Council member, said in a campaign launch video that she is outraged by President Trump and his allies moving to slash federal funding for medical research and health insurance. She recounted the story of helping her daughter manage her Type 1 diabetes.
“There’s no one who fights harder than a mom for her kids,” she said, “and that’s how I’ll fight for your family, too.”
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Shaheen co-founded Good Measures, a business that supports people with chronic conditions. She’s also chief strategy officer for Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI), which is working to make Manchester a hub for biomanufacturing.
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Shaheen is up against Maura Sullivan, 45, a military veteran and former Obama administration official, who launched a congressional campaign in April after four-term Democratic incumbent Representative Chris Pappas, 44, announced he will run for Senate in 2026 rather than seek re-election to the House.
Pappas went public with his decision after Senator Shaheen, 78, announced her retirement. His candidacy has been endorsed by both Shaheens.
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With the state primary still more than 15 months away, it’s not yet clear which Republicans will enter these races.
New Hampshire’s First Congressional District, which has historically flipped back and forth between the parties in recent decades, is viewed as one of New England’s few battleground districts. Democrats are also eager to hang onto both the Senate seat, which Shaheen has held since 2009.
Stefany Shaheen has notable ties to the Democratic establishment, not only via her mother but also her father, William H. Shaheen, who has served as a leader in the Democratic Party.
What’s more, when she released a book in August 2015 about her daughter’s health struggles, Stefany Shaheen included a prominent blurb from then-presidential-candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. And when President Biden visited New Hampshire in March 2024, she joined her father in greeting him on the tarmac in Manchester.
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President Biden meets with William Shaheen and Stefany Shaheen after arriving at the airport in Manchester, N.H., in March 2024.Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
Maureen O’Toole, a regional press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee, released a statement Wednesday slamming the newly announced candidate as a beneficiary of nepotism who will align with her party.
“Nepo baby Stefany Shaheen is a DC elitist who is committed to the Democrats’ radical agenda that makes life more expensive and less safe,” O’Toole said. “Granite Staters will resoundingly reject her and her out of touch policies.”
Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.
Elijah Allman’s arrest on March 1 was his second in New Hampshire in a matter of days.
FILE – This Feb. 26, 2016 file photo, shows the entrance to St. Paul’s School in Concord, N.H. (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File) AP
By MICHAEL CASEY, Associated Press
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A court hearing for Cher’s son Wednesday over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home this month has been canceled.
Elijah Allman’s arrest on March 1 was his second in New Hampshire in a matter of days. Allman, the 49-year-old son of the iconic singer and actress, was also detained Feb. 27, accused of acting belligerently at a prestigious prep school in Concord.
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This undated photo provided by the Windham N.H. Police Department on Monday, March 2, 2026, shows Elijah Allman. – Windham N.H. Police Department via AP
It is unclear if Allman, of Malibu, California, has any connection to the home in Windham, New Hampshire. He is being held in the Rockingham County Department of Corrections, Superintendent Jonathan Banville said.
The hearing Wednesday was continued until an undetermined date after Allman got an attorney Wednesday morning. The attorney, Sarah Landres, did not respond to a request for comment.
Allman, whose father was the late singer Gregg Allman, is charged with two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary and a count of breach of bail for breaking into the home on March 1. Police said in a report that Allman did not have permission to be at the home and forcibly entered it.
Officials at St. Paul’s School said Allman last month identified himself as the parent of a prospective student and slipped into the dining hall as some students were leaving the building. Police responded to reports that he was disturbing people in the building.
He was charged with four misdemeanors in the school incident: two counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening. Allman was also charged with a violation of disorderly conduct, which is illegal in the state but not considered a crime. He was released on bail.
Allman did not respond to an email requesting comment, and a phone number for him was not working.
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In December 2023, Cher filed a petition to become a temporary conservator overseeing her son’s money, saying Allman’s struggles with his mental health and addiction have left him unable to manage his assets and potentially put his life in danger.
The petition says the superstar performer’s son is entitled to regular payments from a trust fund. But “given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues,” she is “concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” the petition says.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica Uzcategui denied the request, saying she was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed. Allman was in the courtroom with his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he was in a good place, was attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his estranged wife.
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The son of Cher is scheduled to be in court Wednesday for a hearing over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home earlier this month.
It was the second arrest in a matter of days for Elijah Allman, 49, of Malibu, California, who was detained Feb. 27 after allegedly acting belligerently at a prestigious prep school in New Hampshire. It was unclear if Allman had any connection to either St. Paul’s School or the home in Windham, New Hampshire.
Allman remains in the Rockingham County Department of Corrections in what is called preventive detention, Superintendent Jonathan Banville said.
Allman, whose father was the late singer Gregg Allman, faces two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary and a count of breach of bail for breaking into the home on March 1. Police said in a report that Allman did not have permission to be at the home and forcibly entered it .
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In the incident at the prep school, Allman was charged with four misdemeanors: two counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening. Allman was also charged with a violation of disorderly conduct, which is illegal in the state but not considered a crime.
At about 7 p.m. that day, Concord police responded to reports that Allman was disturbing people in the dining hall of St. Paul’s School. After charging Allman, police said he was released on bail as his case works through the court system.
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Allman did not respond to an email requesting comment, and a phone number for him was not working. It was unclear from the court records if Allman has an attorney.
In December 2023, Cher filed a petition to become a temporary conservator overseeing her son’s money, saying Allman struggles with mental health issues and addiction have left him unable to manage his assets and potentially put his life in danger.
The petition from the singer and actress said Elijah Allman is entitled to regular payments from a trust fund. But “given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues,” she is “concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” the petition says.
A few weeks later, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica Uzcategui denied the request, saying she was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed. Allman was in the courtroom with his his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he is in a good place now, attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his previously estranged wife.
