Stephany Shaheen, the Democrat running for Congress in New Hampshire's 1st District, is the daughter of retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. During the hotly contested primary race, Shaheen's Democratic opponent, Maura Sullivan, accused Shaheen of feeling "entitled" to support from New Hampshire voters for being Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's daughter.
Sen. Shaheen did endorse her daughter, saying, "I'm so proud that Stefany is answering the call to serve the district she was born and raised in, where she has started a business, worked on the Portsmouth City Council, and advocated for affordable healthcare and clean water."
But Stephany Shaheen's record speaks for itself, and from the beginning of her career, it's been clear that Shaheen has had everything by her mom, and now wants Granite State voters to hand her a promotion to Congress.
The nepotism goes back to when Stefany Shaheen was 27 years old and served on a Commission on Child Care and Early Childhood Education. Jeanne Shaheen established that Commission while she was New Hampshire governor. Stefany Shaheen was quoted in a June 7, 2000 article published by the Union Leader, noting that New Hampshire businesses lost $24 million annually because of child-care-related problems. "It's clear we will be hitting economic development at its core," Stefany Shaheen said of the labor shortage.
That Commission would go on to establish a "permanent entity" that would "enact the recommendations of the Commission." That entity, Business Partners for Child Care and Early Childhood Education, was formed in February 2000. Guess who was chosen to lead that new program?
Stefany Shaheen.
In an April 14, 2002, article from New Hampshire Sunday News, Stefany Shaheen was listed as the "top staffer" of that group. Both Stefany and Jeanne Shaheen said Stefany was given the post because of her "educational background, research abilities, and her role as a mother." Jeanne Shaheen sat on the group's board of directors. A reporter from The Union Leader asked in May 2001 how many people applied for the post of executive director of Business Partners for Child Care and Early Childhood Education, but no one from the group returned their calls. Stefany Shaheen was also tight-lipped about how much she was paid for the post.
It also appears that Stefany Shaheen's role with the Commission and job leading the business group were thanks to a Shaheen donor. The Commission was funded by a $5 million donation from the Providian Financial Corporation, and the business group was "substantially funded by Providian grants." Providian and its CEO, Shallesh Mehta, were both donors to Jeanne Shaheen's gubernatorial campaign.
Despite being supposedly hired for experience, Stefany Shaheen did not do a good job in the role. The group's first initiative, to "improve health insurance availability for childcare professionals," was met with challenges. One childcare provider told a local media outlet he called Shaheen about challenges he was facing five times in 2011. He never heard back from Gov. Shaheen's office or from Stefany Shaheen, to whom he was referred.
But this isn't the only time Stefany Shaheen benefited from her mom's handouts and donors. For the past two years, Stefany Shaheen has been Director of Primary Bank. Its founder and chairman, Bill Greiner, endorsed Jeanne Shaheen in 2020. In 2023, the City of Manchester partnered with nonprofit Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing. Stefany Shaheen was the chief strategy officer at Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing (ARMI), and the nonprofit won $44 million in economic development funding from the Department of Commerce. Gina Raimondo, the Secretary of Commerce at the time, admitted that Manchester and ARMI's application "stood out" because of "persistent advocacy" by Sen. Shaheen.
In 2020, Stefany Shaheen's company, Good Measures, received a $890,000 PPP loan, which was later forgiven.
Stefany Shaheen and her husband were even given their home. On March 24, 2000, Jeanne Shaheen gave a warranty deed to Stefany Shaheen and Craig Welch.
Even fellow Democrats know Stefany Shaheen is not fit to serve in Congress. They cite her "thin political resume" — she served a single term as a Portsmouth city councilor — and that Shaheen is "a bit of a self-promoter." Some Democrats said "they find the dynastic aspect of this off-putting," as well.
What's clear is this: Stefany Shaheen has had everything handed to her by her mom, Jeanne Shaheen. And now she wants voters to give her a seat in Congress for it.
"Nepo Baby Stefany Shaheen has had everything in life handed to her by her mom, and she things running for Congress is no different," said NRCC Spokeswoman Maureen O'Toole. "But she's about to learn the hard way: Granite Staters want a representative who knows how to stand on their own two feet and has a record of fighting for New Hampshire. Stefany Shaheen is not that candidate."
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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