Leavitt wins GOP nod in race against New Hampshire Rep. Pappas

Karoline Leavitt was projected to defeat Matt Mowers on Tuesday, clinching the Republican nomination in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District and setting her up to take on Rep. Chris Pappas (D) in November.

The Associated Press called the race at 11:48 p.m. ET.

Leavitt, a former assistant in the Trump White House press office, competed fiercely with Mowers, who worked for former President Trump’s 2016 campaign before serving in his State Department, for the mantle of Trump loyalist.

Her victory on Tuesday denied Mowers a second general election campaign against Pappas, who is among the most vulnerable House Democratic incumbents in the country.

Mowers previously challenged Pappas as the Republican nominee in 2020, though he ultimately lost by about 5 percentage points. He had Trump’s support for that race, though the former president didn’t make an endorsement in this year’s primary.

Still, both Mowers and Leavitt racked up long lists of high-profile supporters.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) endorsed Mowers in the primary, while Leavitt won the support of hard-right figures including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.).

With the Republican nomination locked up, Leavitt will face off against Pappas in November. The GOP needs to net just five seats this year to recapture control of the House.