Chris Pappas has made history as the first out gay man elected to the U.S. Senate, and one of his election-night thank-yous was for the man standing beside him.
His husband, Vann Bentley, joined him as he addressed supporters in New Hampshire.
“Win, lose, or draw, I’m the luckiest guy because I’m married to a man that I love.”
The words gave a deeply personal note to a night with national significance.
A Senate milestone, with love beside him
AP and Reuters reported Pappas’s victory over Republican John E. Sununu in the November 3 election.
The Democrat will succeed retiring Senator Jeanne Shaheen in January, moving from the House of Representatives to the Senate.
The milestone is specifically the election of an out gay man to the chamber, which has previously included LGBTQ+ women.
The Washington Blade reported that Bentley stood alongside Pappas when he spoke in Manchester.
The couple announced their marriage in February 2023, with contemporary reporting by LGBTQ Nation documenting their wedding announcement and gratitude for the support of family and friends.
Three years later, that partnership was part of another public celebration.
For gay viewers who remember politicians hiding their relationships, a husband acknowledged from a victory stage can still feel significant.
Gay House members are returning too
Pappas’s Senate victory was accompanied by reelection wins for several gay members of the House.
The Advocate reported that Robert Garcia won a third term in California’s 42nd District, citing a race call by Decision Desk HQ.
The same publication reported that Mark Takano secured an eighth term in California’s 39th District, also based on a Decision Desk HQ projection.
AP called New York’s 15th District for Ritchie Torres, returning the Bronx congressman for another term.
In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Examiner reported that Mark Pocan won reelection in the 2nd District after running unopposed.
NPR Illinois reported that AP called Illinois’s 17th District for Eric Sorensen, who defeated Dillan Vancil to secure a third term.
These are reported election victories rather than certified final results, with ballot counting and formal certification still to follow.
The people behind the milestones
The results bring different histories and experiences back into Congress while opening a new chapter in the Senate.
They also offer a reminder that public representation has a personal side.
For Pappas, the night included gratitude for voters, a new responsibility and the partner who shared the moment.
His words about Bentley were simple: whatever happened at the ballot box, there was already something in his life worth celebrating.
On a night when he made history, he made room for that love too.
📷 Chris Pappas
For more LGBTQ+ stories, visit B-Gay on YouTube.