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Decision Desk HQ and CBS News project Pappas wins New Hampshire Senate race

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Covered by 18 outlets across the spectrum.

24 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

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Decision Desk HQ and CBS News project that Democratic Representative Chris Pappas will win New Hampshire’s U.S. Senate race over Republican John E. Sununu, a former senator. The Associated Press also called the race, and The Boston Globe reports that Sununu conceded. The seat is open because three-term Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen is retiring. Sununu held the seat from 2003 until Shaheen defeated him in 2008, and he distanced himself from President Donald Trump during the campaign. Early returns, with about a fifth of the vote counted, showed Pappas with about 60 percent to Sununu’s 37 percent.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. Editors read every story. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Decision Desk HQ, CBS News and other outlets project that Democratic Representative Chris Pappas will win the New Hampshire Senate race over Republican John E. Sununu.

    Reported byFar Left1Left1Center1Right2Far Right2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Left
    CBS News
    Center
    The Hill
    Right
    The Center Square, Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    The Epoch Times, Fox News

  2. The seat is open because three-term Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen is retiring.

    Reported byFar Left1Center1Right2Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost
    Center
    PBS NewsHour
    Right
    The Center Square, Washington Examiner
    Far Right
    Fox News

  3. Sununu conceded the race.

    Reported byFar Left1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    The Boston Globe
    Right
    Washington Examiner

  4. Pappas would become the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate.

    One side only: the leftReported byFar Left2Left1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Far Left
    HuffPost, The Boston Globe
    Left
    The New York Times

  5. Early returns, with about a fifth of the vote counted, showed Pappas with about 60 percent to Sununu’s 37 percent.

    One side only: the rightReported byRight1Far Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Right
    The Center Square
    Far Right
    Fox News

How each side tells it

Compare views

Coverage from all three sides reports Democrat Chris Pappas was projected to win New Hampshire’s open Senate seat over former Republican Senator John Sununu. The left stresses Pappas becoming the first openly gay male senator, while the right stresses Democratic Senate gains and Trump’s backing of Sununu.

  • the left

    8 outlets

    Left headlines lead with Pappas’s win and its historic first, the NYT stressing an openly gay male senator and CBS stressing the projection and the seat staying Democratic.

    Chris Pappas wins New Hampshire's Senate election, CBS News projects
    CBS NewsLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    4 outlets

    Center headlines are plain: The Hill reports the projected win, while NewsNation and PBS publish live-results pages for the race without characterizing it.

    Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas wins Senate seat in New Hampshire
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    6 outlets

    Right headlines report Pappas defeating Sununu, with Fox News calling it a major Democratic Senate victory over a Trump-backed Republican and the Epoch Times framing it as the end of an era.

    Democrats score major Senate victory as Pappas defeats Trump-backed Republican in key battleground
    Fox NewsFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right1

    halts Sununu comeback

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    halts Sununu comebackMore neutral: defeats Republican John Sununu

    The verb “halts” frames the result as stopping an opponent’s attempt, where the plain report is that a candidate won the race.

    Chris Pappas halts Sununu comeback in New Hampshire, makes Senate history

    Used byNew York Post (Right)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

8 outlets

Leads with

  • Pappas becoming the first openly gay male senator
  • LGBTQ rights facing pushback in some states
  • Seat staying in Democratic hands

Leaves out

  • Trump’s endorsement of Sununu in the Republican primary

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 8 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

4 outlets

Leads with

  • Projected win by Pappas
  • Seat kept by the Democratic Party
  • Sununu’s political dynasty

Leaves out

  • Pappas becoming the first openly gay man elected to the Senate

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 4 headlines from the centerHide the headlines
  • BBC NewsCenter

    'I am ready to fight' - Senator-elect Chris Pappas celebrates New Hampshire win

    The Democratic candidate has won the state's open seat, making history as the first openly-gay man elected to the Senate.

    Read at BBC News (opens in a new tab)
  • The HillCenter

    Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas wins Senate seat in New Hampshire

    Rep. Chris Pappas (D) is projected to win the Senate race in New Hampshire, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ), keeping a crucial seat for the Democratic Party. The contest was considered a possible Republican pickup opportunity thanks to their strong candidate, former Sen. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)
  • NewsNationCenter

    Live results: Pappas takes on Sununu for New Hampshire Senate seat

    (NewsNation) — In New Hampshire’s heated U.S. Senate race, Democrat Chris Pappas faces off with former Republican U.S. House and Senate Representative John Sununu. …

    Read at NewsNation (opens in a new tab)
    1 more from NewsNation
  • PBS NewsHourCenter

    Live Results: New Hampshire Senate midterm election

    Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas and former Republican Sen. John E. Sununu compete Tuesday to succeed New Hampshire's retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

    Read at PBS NewsHour (opens in a new tab)

From the right

6 outlets

Leads with

  • Democratic Senate gains
  • Trump’s backing of Sununu
  • Sununu’s earlier Senate service and 2008 loss

Leaves out

  • Pappas becoming the first openly gay man elected to the Senate

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 6 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Center SquareRight

    Pappas defeats Sununu in key U.S. Senate race

    (The Center Square) — Democrat Chris Pappas defeated Republican John E. Sununu in Tuesday's midterm elections to keep one of New Hampshire's two U.S. Senate seats blue for the next six years.

    Read at The Center Square (opens in a new tab)
  • The Epoch TimesFar Right

    Democrat Pappas Defeats GOP’s Sununu to Win New Hampshire US Senate Contest

    The election marked the end of an era for a Senate seat held by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen since 2009.

    Read at The Epoch Times (opens in a new tab)
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    Democrat Chris Pappas defeats John Sununu in race for New Hampshire Senate seat

    Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH) won the New Hampshire Senate race Tuesday night, keeping a seat held for almost two decades by retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in Democratic hands. Pappas, a four-term House member, defeated Republican challenger John E. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRight

    Chris Pappas Loaded verb“halts Sununu comeback”The verb “halts” frames the result as stopping an opponent’s attempt, where the plain report is that a candidate won the race.More neutral: defeats Republican John SununuDisagree with this highlight? in New Hampshire, makes Senate history

    National Democrats had to pump more cash into the race to succeed retiring three-term Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  • TownhallFar Right

    Democrat Chris Pappas Defeats Republican John Sununu to Win New Hampshire Senate Race

    Democrat Chris Pappas has won the open seat Senate race in New Hampshire against former Republican Senator John Sununu.

    Read at Townhall (opens in a new tab)
  • Fox NewsFar Right

    Democrats score major Senate victory as Pappas defeats Trump-backed Republican in key battleground

    Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas defeats John Sununu in New Hampshire's high-stakes Senate race, a critical hold as Democrats seek the Senate majority.

    Read at Fox News (opens in a new tab)

The stories you read build My Mix, a private picture of which sides cover the stories you choose, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    15 hr later

    Its first report, Nov 3, 8:01 PM EST

  • Center

    First to report

    PBS NewsHour, Nov 3, 5:00 AM EST

  • Right

    14 hr 23 min later

    Its first report, Nov 3, 7:23 PM EST

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. PBS NewsHourCenterNov 3, 5:00 AM EST
  2. NewsNationCenterNov 3, 6:00 AM EST
  3. Fox NewsFar RightNov 3, 7:23 PM EST
  4. The 19thLeftNov 3, 8:01 PM EST
  5. The HillCenterNov 3, 8:04 PM EST
  6. TownhallFar RightNov 3, 8:09 PM EST
  7. The Boston GlobeFar LeftNov 3, 8:13 PM EST
  8. NBC NewsLeftNov 3, 8:20 PM EST
  9. New York PostRightNov 3, 8:21 PM EST
  10. Washington ExaminerRightNov 3, 8:22 PM EST
  11. The GuardianLeftNov 3, 8:22 PM EST
  12. CBS NewsLeftNov 3, 8:24 PM EST
  13. The New York TimesLeftNov 3, 8:24 PM EST
  14. The Epoch TimesFar RightNov 3, 8:25 PM EST
  15. The Center SquareRightNov 3, 8:29 PM EST
  16. HuffPostFar LeftNov 3, 8:32 PM EST
  17. ABC NewsLeftNov 3, 9:00 PM EST
  18. BBC NewsCenterNov 3, 9:03 PM EST

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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