Rep. Chris Pappas, a four-term Congress member, defeated a progressive challenger in the New Hampshire Democratic Senate primary Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.

Pappas, 46, who represents the state’s 1st District, prevailed over Karishma Manzur, a medical scientist and member of the Southern New Hampshire Democratic Socialists of America, who sought to harness the anti-establishment mood and shifting sentiment against Israel that have upended Democratic primaries nationwide.

“Today New Hampshire’s voters have sent a clear message,” Pappas said after securing the Democratic nomination. “They’re fed up with what’s happening in our politics, and they’re ready for change.”

His victory sets up a general election contest that could help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Pappas will face former Sen. John E. Sununu, who easily won the Republican nomination on Tuesday.

The seat was left open by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat who is retiring after three terms in the Senate and who had endorsed Pappas to succeed her. In recent weeks, Democrats in the state have been sounding the alarm that Sununu, a Republican who is the brother and son of two former governors, could win in November.

A recent poll by the University of New Hampshire showed Pappas running narrowly behind Sununu in a general election matchup. The main Republican Senate super political action committee, Senate Leadership Fund, has pledged to spend $17 million in the state for the general election; the group’s Democratic counterpart, Senate Majority PAC, has announced initial plans to spend $10.2 million in television advertising.

Pappas, a moderate Democrat from Manchester, New Hampshire, has been among the state’s most successful politicians in recent history, holding onto a House seat in the state’s notably swingy 1st Congressional District. He had previously served three terms on the state’s five-member Executive Council, a body responsible for approving high-level appointments and state contracts. Before that, he served two terms as treasurer of Hillsborough County and two terms in the state Legislature.

If elected, Pappas, the grandson of the man credited with inventing chicken tenders, would be the first openly gay male senator. He triumphed over Manzur with significant support from party leaders and a significant fundraising advantage. Former Vice President Kamala Harris endorsed him; Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., actively campaigned on his behalf.

As of late August, Pappas’ campaign had raised more than $15 million, according to campaign finance records. Manzur, who had little support from national progressives, raised less than $500,000 over that same period.

Still, Manzur had appeared to gain on Pappas in the polls in the weeks leading up to the primary election. She sought to cast Pappas as part of a broken establishment in Washington that has catered to special interests at the cost of policies that would have helped everyday people access healthcare and afford groceries.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Emily Davies/John Tully
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