Young voters favor Karishma, Heath, Paige
Who backs a candidate can reveal where the electorate is headed.
Recent UNH Survey Center polling reveals a striking pattern across three of New Hampshire’s Democratic primaries for federal office. Heath Howard and Paige Beauchemin lead their respective congressional primaries among voters ages 18–34, while Karishma Manzur leads Chris Pappas 62% to 15% among younger voters and 66% to 18% among undeclared voters planning to participate in the Democratic primary.
These findings matter for reasons that extend beyond any single campaign. New Hampshire’s undeclared voters have long played an outsized role in shaping the state’s politics. Their ability to choose either party’s primary gives them unusual influence over election outcomes. When independents and younger voters both favor candidates challenging the political establishment, it deserves attention.
Although younger voters participate at lower rates than older generations, they represent the electorate New Hampshire will have tomorrow. The fact that all three races point in the same direction suggests something larger than the dynamics of a single primary or even a single election.
Whether the driving concerns are affordability, healthcare, housing, foreign policy or a broader frustration with politics as usual, many voters appear to be looking for candidates willing to chart a different course. Whatever the outcome in September, that broader shift may prove to be one of the most consequential stories of this election.