Elizabeth Girard, a former co-chair of President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign in New Hampshire, has officially launched her campaign for the state’s open 1st Congressional District, a key target for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. The district, which has been held by Democrats for over a decade, presents a significant opportunity for the GOP to flip the seat.
The 1st District, stretching from Manchester east to Portsmouth and north to the White Mountains, is one of the GOP’s top targets as Republicans aim to not only protect but expand their razor-thin House majority in next year’s midterm elections. With the seat opening up as Rep. Chris Pappas runs for the Senate in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Republicans see an opportunity to flip the House seat.
Girard, who served as co-chair of Trump’s 2024 campaign in New Hampshire, pledged to work with Trump and her colleagues to deliver tangible results and ensure the state’s future remains bright for future generations. She emphasized her priorities would include lowering the cost of living and healthcare in New Hampshire, empowering small businesses and innovators to thrive, and providing care for veterans and seniors who have served and defended the nation.
She joins a crowded Republican primary field that also includes auto dealer and real estate developer Anthony DiLorenzo, Hollie Noveletsky, a former New Hampshire GOP vice chair, state Rep. Brian Cole, and Bedford Republican Committee Vice Chair Melissa Bailey. Seven Democrats are also running for their party’s nomination, including former Portsmouth city councilor Stefany Shaheen, daughter of Sen. Shaheen, and Maura Sullivan, a New Hampshire Democratic Party vice chair and U.S. Marine veteran who served during the Obama administration.
Girard, a 2016 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, previously served as president of the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women and ran unsuccessfully for the state’s open Republican National Committeewoman seat. She was still NHFRW chair when she endorsed Trump at a campaign rally in December 2023, breaking the organization’s longstanding rule of not taking sides in a GOP primary. She promptly resigned her leadership role to become a Trump co-chair in New Hampshire.