New Hampshire

Pappas Case Highlights Success Of Biden's Strategy To Stay On Ticket

Published

2 years ago

July 16, 2024

Pappas Case Highlights Success Of Biden's Strategy To Stay On Ticket

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

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.

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.

“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.”

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.”

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.

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New Hampshire

Court hearing for Cher’s son on charges he broke into a New Hampshire home canceled

Published

9 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Court hearing for Cher’s son on charges he broke into a New Hampshire home canceled

Crime

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

March 11, 2026 | 4:50 PM

2 minutes to read

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.

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.

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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New Hampshire

Cher’s son heads to court over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home

Published

21 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Cher’s son heads to court over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home

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 .

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.

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.

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