President Donald Trump’s endorsement record notches another victory as candidate he backed wins New Hampshire congressional district’s Republican primary
President Donald Trump extended his primary endorsement record after Portsmouth businessman Anthony DiLorenzo won the Republican nomination in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District.
The Associated Press called the race for DiLorenzo. He captured roughly 51 percent of the vote in a three-way race, according to the New Hampshire Bulletin.
DiLorenzo, 62, defeated Hollie Noveletsky of Newfields, the former vice chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party and state Rep. Brian Cole of Manchester. With 42 percent of votes counted, DiLorenzo had 11,812 votes to Noveletsky’s 6,276 and Cole’s 3,556, according to the Union Leader.
Trump’s backing and the path to victory
DiLorenzo founded Key Auto Group, a chain of car dealerships and repair shops and financed his first political campaign with $1.6 million of his own money. Trump’s early endorsement gave him a boost in the crowded GOP field.
DiLorenzo credited his business background for the victory.
“It’s my ability to create good jobs and deliver results,” DiLorenzo told reporters at his campaign headquarters in Portsmouth on Tuesday night, adding it was “something we haven’t had a lot of from our federal delegation in New Hampshire.”
Supporters echoed that message at his victory party at the Music Hall Lounge in Portsmouth.
“Anthony is what I think we should all aspire to be: a self-made person,” said Rich Sawyer of Hampton, who attended the celebration Tuesday evening.
Portsmouth attorney John Bosen also praised DiLorenzo’s business record, telling reporters that preserving “the New Hampshire way and the New Hampshire advantage” mattered to voters.
Trump’s uneven endorsement record
Trump’s backing has not guaranteed victory throughout this year’s primary cycle.
According to Ballotpedia, Trump has endorsed candidates in 313 U.S. Senate, House and state primary races this cycle, winning 96 percent of them. Still, he has suffered a growing number of losses in recent weeks.
After two defeats in Florida and one in Wyoming, Trump’s total losses for the cycle reached 12. Those losses include Phil Berger in a North Carolina state Senate race, Indiana state Rep. Bruce Borders and Wyoming gubernatorial candidate Megan Degenfelder.
Trump has acknowledged that some setbacks were expected. After Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles lost his primary, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Ogles “was a person who I remained loyal to even though he had virtually no chance of winning.”
Democratic primary remains tight
While DiLorenzo won decisively, the Democratic primary was much closer.
The Associated Press called the race for Stefany Shaheen at 12:35 a.m. Wednesday. Shaheen led Maura Sullivan 37 percent to 35 percent with 88 percent of votes counted.
Shaheen, a former Portsmouth city councilor and police commissioner, entered the race with a significant name-recognition advantage.
DiLorenzo will face Shaheen in November for the seat being vacated by four-term Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jeanne Shaheen.
The National Republican Congressional Committee considers the 1st District a top target this cycle. Democrats have held the seat since 2017 after it switched parties five times during the previous decade.
Republican officials quickly turned their attention to the general election. NRCC Eastern Regional Press Secretary Maureen O’Toole said the primary had “turned into a full-blown race to the left,” predicting that whoever won the Democratic nomination would be “dead on arrival in November.”
Forecasters still favor Democrats
The University of Virginia’s Center for Politics rates the district as lean Democrat, while the Cook Political Report rates it likely Democrat. If DiLorenzo wins in November, he would become the first Republican elected to Congress from New Hampshire in more than a decade, according to the New Hampshire Bulletin.