Chris Pappas has served in the US House of Representatives since 2018 and is co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. (AFP pic)NEW YORK: Democratic Representative Chris Pappas won election on Tuesday to the US Senate and will become the first openly gay man to serve in the upper chamber of Congress.

He defeated Republican former senator John Sununu to maintain Democratic control of the New Hampshire seat, US media projected.

The 46-year-old Pappas has served in the US House of Representatives since 2018 and is co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus.

"No one should be discriminated against because of who they are or who they love," he said on his website, adding: "I am committed to fighting for the dignity and equality of all Americans."