In a surprising development, Don Bolduc of Stratham, the Trump-endorsed Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in 2022, is leading a group of GOP figures and prominent independents backing Democratic Senate candidate Chris Pappas of Manchester.

Two other well-known Republicans backing Pappas, former state Sen. Rick Russman of Kingston and Concord lawyer James Steiner, have a long history of getting behind well-known Democrats such as U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan.

But Bolduc, the 64-year-old retired Army brigadier general, was the big prize for Pappas coming just weeks before the high-stakes U.S. Senate race is decided with former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, a Rye Republican.

“Chris Pappas's unwavering dedication to our veterans and his efforts to foster bipartisan cooperation set him apart as a leader who will prioritize the needs of all constituents,” Bolduc said in a statement first released to the Union Leader.

“His ability to navigate the complex landscape of our economy, tackle the national debt with a steady hand, and work towards solutions that bridge divides is especially critical in today’s challenging political climate.”Bolduc doesn’t have any history of animus toward John E. Sununu but this decision could be linked to his hostility with Sununu’s younger brother, former four-term Gov. Chris Sununu.

After Chris Sununu took himself out of the running against Hassan in November 2021, Bolduc during an interview on a conservative radio talk show called Sununu a “Chinese communist sympathizer” who “supports” terrorism.

In response, Chris Sununu described Bolduc as “not a serious candidate” and five days before that 2022 GOP primary, he endorsed Bolduc’s opponent, former Senate President Chuck Morse.

Bolduc won that primary, but many close to that campaign blame Chris Sununu for making it difficult for Bolduc to gain traction in the general election and compete with Hassan who had a massive campaign war chest advantage over him.

Hassan coasted to a 9-point victory in large part because Bolduc had embraced the conspiracy theory that the 2020 election had been stolen from Trump.

In 2023 while mounting his comeback presidential campaign in New Hampshire, Trump publicly told Morse during a GOP dinner speech in Concord that he should have endorsed him and not Bolduc.

In 2020, Bolduc also ran for the U.S. Senate in the election won by incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen; he lost that Republican primary to retired trial lawyer Corky Messner of Wolfeboro.

Pappas said it’s fitting he should have support beyond his Democratic base as someone who has been judged by independent groups as one of the most bipartisan members of the U.S. House during his four terms in office.

“Our country faces enormous challenges right now, and this is a moment for courage. I’m running for Senate because New Hampshire needs someone who will lower costs, who will put Granite Staters first, and who will get our state and country on a better path for a future,” Pappas said.

“I will always work with anyone to deliver for New Hampshire, and I’m grateful to have earned the support of Granite Staters across party and ideological lines who are ready to build a freer, fairer future for our state.”Russman has had a history of being a Trump critic.

“As a Republican for more than fifty years, I believe it’s important to say plainly: Donald Trump’s handpicked candidate, John Sununu, and the MAGA machine do not represent the Republican Party of our parents and grandparents,” Russman said.

“Fiscal responsibility. Supporting our troops. Strengthening American industry. Standing up for small businesses and the people who keep our communities running. Those are the values I believe in, and those are the values I see in Congressman Chris Pappas.”Steiner, a veteran Army Ranger and Green Beret, was an early supporter of both Republican John McCain’s presidential primary campaigns that ended in victory in New Hampshire.

“I believe our elected officials have an obligation to put country and community before political loyalty,” Steiner said. “But Donald Trump has turned the Republican Party into something I no longer recognize, and John Sununu has made the choice to follow him rather than stand up for what is best for New Hampshire.”Sarah Stewart of Manchester served under Gov. Chris Sununu as commissioner of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte sought Stewart’s resignation after she failed to inform the governor that the Trump administration had inquired of her agency about locating an ICE detainee facility in Merrimack.

“I've been a Republican all my adult life. This year Ied Undeclared. In 2024, John Sununu called Donald Trump a loser,” Stewart said. “Now he's running as Trump's endorsed candidate, and he says he would have voted for Trump's law that cut Medicaid. John knows better. He's going along anyway; that has to stop, and it stops with our vote.”

Others on the Pappas’ list included independent Peter Powell of Lancaster, the son of the late GOP Gov. Wesley Powell, and John Vorel of Sanbornton who served as state director of ski operations under Republican governors here.

Sununu campaign spokesman Mike Schrimpf said Pappas can’t run away from his record of blindly supporting the Democratic Party line when his party had control of the House.

“Nothing can cover up the fact that Chris Pappas voted with Nancy Pelosi 222 out of 223 times while she was speaker of the House and lurched even farther to the left during his primary,” Schrimpf said in a statement.

“California Chris is even planning to campaign with liberal California Governor Gavin Newsom this weekend. California already has two senators; it doesn't need a third from New Hampshire.”