New Hampshire Democrat Thanks Husband In Moving Speech After Becoming First Out Gay Man Elected To Senate

By now, whether a United States voter is a conservative MAGA minion or a progressive Democratic Socialist, they're likely reeling from the results of the 2026 midterm elections.

In 2024, when MAGA Republican President Donald Trump garnered only 31.97% of the popular vote, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris received 31.03%, and 36.37% did not vote at all, Trump called his narrow victory a "landslide" and claimed his electoral college win was a "mandate" from the people.

But last night, Trump got to see what a real citizen mandate looks like.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion was on the ballot, and voters across the country repeatedly made the choice to back the best candidate, regardless of whether they were a BIPOC, woman, non-Christian, or LGBTQ+ candidate. Democrats decidedly recaptured control of the House of Representatives and Senate with some states going blue for the first time in decades.

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It served as a clear message to the Christian nationalist, white supremacists of the GOP, the Trump administration, and the architects of Project 2025 who spent the last two years targeting "DEI" and those same groups of people.

Multiple LGBTQ+ candidates were elected, with at least eight trans candidates winning.

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Many of the night's wins were the first for their state or district.

Among them was New Hampshire Democratic Senator-elect Chris Pappas who became the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate. Pappas, who has been married to his husband Vann Bentley since 2022, found his marriage a target in a national Republican strategy that relied on dubious attack ads pointing out the "other"-ness of Democratic candidates.

So in his acceptance speech, Senator-elect Pappas made certain to thank his husband. Pappas took a moment to introduce his "amazing husband Vann," which was met with enthusiastic cheers and applause.

In response, Pappas quipped:

"Alright, the wrong person was on the ballot, apparently."

You can watch the moment here:

Pappas added:

"But he's always been by my side. And, look, tonight win, lose or draw, I'm the luckiest guy because I'm married to a man that I love."

People appreciated that, as Pappas put it, "love and truth prevailed."

@OGentertained/X

Pappas and the other newly-elected Democrats will take office in January when the 120th Congress is convened.