President Donald Trump’s handpicked candidate Anthony DiLorenzo secured the Republican nomination for New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday night, defeating two primary challengers and setting up a showdown for a seat Democrats currently hold.
DiLorenzo, a businessman, beat Novel Iron Works owner Hollie Noveletsky and state Rep. Brian Cole to clinch the GOP nod in the Granite State’s 1st U.S. House district — a D+2 battleground that Trump now has his sights on flipping in November.
The victory represents a significant win for Trump’s influence within the Republican Party as he seeks to shape congressional races across the country. Trump’s endorsement has proven decisive in numerous Republican primaries, and DiLorenzo’s win reinforces the former president’s continued sway over the party’s base voters, particularly in competitive swing districts where his backing can mobilize crucial turnout among loyal supporters.
“AS A VERY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN AND ENTREPRENEUR, ANTHONY UNDERSTANDS THE AMERICA FIRST POLICIES REQUIRED TO CREATE GREAT JOBS, CUT TAXES AND REGULATIONS, UNLEASH AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE, PROMOTE MADE IN THE U.S.A., AND CHAMPION OUR NATION’S GOLDEN AGE.”
The seat is currently held by Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., who is leaving the House to run for the U.S. Senate. That opened the door for Republicans to compete for a moderately blue district that includes Manchester, the state’s most populous city.
Pappas’s departure creates a rare open-seat opportunity in a state where incumbents typically enjoy significant advantages. Open seats historically present the best pickup opportunities for the opposing party, as they lack the name recognition and constituent services advantages that sitting members leverage in reelection campaigns. For Republicans, this represents their strongest chance in years to gain ground in New Hampshire’s congressional delegation.
New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District leans Democrat by just two points according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index — close enough that a strong Republican candidate backed by Trump could sweep in a general election.
The narrow partisan lean reflects the district’s status as a true bellwether in American politics. These marginal districts often determine which party controls the House of Representatives, making them targets for heavy campaign spending and intense voter mobilization efforts. With Republicans holding only a slim majority in the House, every competitive seat takes on outsized importance in the battle for congressional control.
The primary race turned contentious in its final weeks, with both Noveletsky and Cole targeting DiLorenzo over his immigration stance. During a debate hosted by local station WMUR earlier this month, Noveletsky seized on comments DiLorenzo made on “The Granite Discourse” podcast, where he suggested deportation efforts should prioritize felons and violent criminals over those who came illegally but haven’t committed crimes since arriving.
The immigration dispute highlighted ongoing tensions within the Republican Party over how aggressively to pursue enforcement policies. While the party broadly agrees on strengthening border security, questions about prioritization and the fate of long-term undocumented residents without criminal records continue to divide Republican candidates, particularly in swing districts where general election voters may hold more moderate views on the issue.
“Unlike Anthony, who is on record on Granite Discourse saying that if somebody came here illegally and was working that they should have a path, I disagree,” Noveletsky said during the debate.
DiLorenzo clarified his position: “I would start with the dangerous people, the criminals, the drug dealers, the human traffickers. The law is clear, and I support law enforcement and the enforcement of our laws.”
Trump endorsed DiLorenzo in July, writing on Truth Social that DiLorenzo “understands the America First Policies required to Create GREAT Jobs, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., and Champion our Nation’s Golden Age.”
DiLorenzo also secured endorsements from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.
The unified support from House Republican leadership signals the national party’s commitment to flipping the seat. Leadership endorsements typically come with significant fundraising advantages and organizational support, providing candidates access to donor networks and campaign resources that can prove decisive in competitive races. This level of backing suggests Republican leaders view the district as central to their strategy for expanding their House majority.
Noveletsky, meanwhile, was backed by a slate of New Hampshire state officials and House Rules Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.
The district is the smaller of New Hampshire’s two congressional districts geographically but includes critical population centers in southern New Hampshire. Former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt ran for the seat in 2022, losing to Pappas by just under 10%.
Leavitt’s relatively close performance in 2022 demonstrated Republican competitiveness in the district despite its Democratic lean. The result suggested that a well-funded Republican campaign with strong party support could potentially overcome the district’s slight blue tilt, especially in a favorable electoral environment or with the advantage of an open seat rather than facing an entrenched incumbent.
With Trump’s full backing and House leadership support, DiLorenzo now faces the Democrat nominee in November for a seat Republicans believe they can flip in a closely divided House.
