'A Fighter, Not A Fancy Last Name' — 1st Congressional District Candidate Sullivan Hits 'Entitled' Shaheen In Ad

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

Maura Sullivan went there.

After her NH-01 Democratic primary opponent Stefany Shaheen attacked her over campaign donations from AIPAC supporters and Palantir executives, Sullivan fired back, hitting Shaheen on a subject many believed was politically off-limits:

Her family name.

In the ad, Sullivan supporters defend her from Shaheen’s accusations — “Maura doesn’t take a dime from Corporate PACs. OR AIPAC” — before one says:

“Stefany’s the kind of person who was born on third base…and thinks she hit a triple. I want a fighter, not a fancy last name.”

The ad concludes with Maura Sullivan saying, “I approve this message because Stefany Shaheen thinks she’s entitled to your vote. I know I have to earn it.”

Shaheen, the daughter of U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, entered the race as the presumed frontrunner, thanks to her family connections and name ID. She has since slipped in the polls, while Sullivan and Hampton progressive Carleigh Beriont have gained ground.

Shaheen’s decision to go negative first has undermined the sense of inevitability that had been central to her campaign. Political professionals say Sullivan’s ad hits the right spot.

“Democrats want a proven fighter, and one way to prove you’re a fighter is showing everyone you’re not afraid to take on the biggest name in New Hampshire politics,” said Dover city councilor and former New Hampshire GOP chairman Fergus Cullen.

The Shaheen campaign insists its attacks on Sullivan are true. While Sullivan may not have accepted money directly from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s political action committee, the Shaheen campaign says 150 AIPAC supporters have donated to her campaign.

That is not the same as receiving a contribution from AIPAC PAC itself.

Opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza and support for Palestinians have emerged as potent forces among Democratic primary voters. But candidates who have successfully tapped that sentiment have tended to be outsiders, such as New York’s Zohran Mamdani and Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed, rather than establishment figures like Stefany Shaheen.

“I think in this anti-establishment and anti-incumbent year, when insurgents have knocked out presumed frontrunners, this ad will play very well,” said Jay Surdukowski, a Democratic attorney and activist.

“There may be a revolt brewing against the start of a Shaheen dynasty and Maura Sullivan has the momentum two weeks out.”

Sullivan’s attack also targets questions about Shaheen’s résumé. Her only experience in elective office is two years on the Portsmouth City Council. Rather than relying on her political accomplishments, she’s emphasized endorsements from teachers unions and environmental groups.

Another prominent entry on Shaheen’s résumé is her work as chief strategy officer for Dean Kamen’s Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, or ARMI.

Her congressional financial disclosure reports that Stefany Shaheen Consulting generated $151,489 in 2024 and another $110,000 from Jan. 1 through Aug. 26, 2025. The disclosure separately identifies ARMI as a client that paid her more than $5,000 for chief strategy officer services, but it does not disclose how much of her total consulting income came from ARMI.

Her critics have also raised questions about the appearance created by her paid work for an organization that benefited from federal funding championed by her mother. Sen. Shaheen serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee and chaired the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Economic Development Administration. She advocated for the initial federal investment in ARMI and later for an approximately $44 million EDA award to Manchester’s broader biofabrication coalition.

Shaheen’s work for ARMI became a political liability after federal records documented Kamen’s yearslong relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein following Epstein’s 2008 conviction.

Shaheen said she was shocked and troubled by the disclosures and called for an independent investigation and for Kamen to step aside while it was conducted. In March, ARMI’s board announced that an investigation by outside counsel found no evidence of wrongdoing and restored Kamen’s full participation. The board did not release the report or provide details about its findings.

The decision to return fire on Shaheen means Sullivan is all in on this messaging, says Democratic consultant Scott Merrick of Darby Field Advisors.

“If the Sullivan campaign’s entire thesis is Stefany Shaheen’s key to success is the power of her last name, then this was really the only tactical move. There’s no good middle ground on an attack like this. No point in trying a nuanced version. It’s all or nothing. Maura won’t be getting a Christmas card from the Shaheen family anytime soon, and she knew that ship had sailed.”

Republican strategist Periklis Karoutas of Legislative Solutions believes Sullivan’s messaging is right on point.

“Finally a political ad that says out loud what everyone is thinking,” Karoutas said. “Stefany is going to be waiting and expecting and hoping for someone to say ‘How dare they!’ And nobody will.”

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.