Sununu passes on US Senate race in New Hampshire

[mystery-ak]

Sununu passes on US Senate race in New Hampshire
By Julia Manchester - 11/09/21 09:37 AM EST

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) announced on Tuesday that he will not run for Senate in 2022 and will instead seek another term as governor.

"I'd rather push myself 120 miles an hour delivering wins for New Hampshire than to slow down, end up on Capitol Hill debating partisan politics without results. That's why I am going to run for a fourth term," Sununu said speaking from Concord, N.H.

"There is just so much that we can do but a US senator does none of this. A governor must be accountable and deliver results," he continued. "It's what I've done, it's how I can best serve New Hampshire and defend its values."


The decision leaves an open field for other Republicans to challenge incumbent Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan (N.H.) in the midterms.

Sununu's move is also a blow for Republicans, who saw him as a prime candidate to challenge incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).

Republicans in Washington, including National Republican Senatorial  Committee Chair Rick Scott (R-Fla.), had pushed for Sununu to run against Hassan. The GOP views the seat, which the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates as “lean Democratic,” as a potential pickup in their bid to take back the Senate.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/580670-sununu-passes-on-us-senate-race-in-new-hampshire

[mystery-ak]

National Republicans stunned by Sununu snub
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/580721-national-republicans-stunned-by-sununu-snub

[mystery-ak]

Sununu announcement hands Democrats lifeline
By Hanna Trudo and Tal Axelrod - 11/09/21 04:41 PM EST

President Biden just got a lifeline from the state where he once suffered a big loss: New Hampshire.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s decision to forgo a Senate bid against Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) gave Democrats some much needed optimism in the midst of President Biden’s sinking poll numbers, a major electoral defeat, and a still-uncertain social spending package that has to make it through a divided Congress.

“A lot of shoes fell today,” said Jim Demers, a lobbyist and former Democratic state representative in New Hampshire. “For the next several weeks, as Republicans are scrambling to find a candidate, it gives [Hassan] a chance to own the discussion out there.”

“It’s definitely a game changer,” he said.

The prospect of a Senate run by a Republican respected across party lines had for months plagued anxious Democrats scrambling to strategize around how to protect a thin majority. That fear only intensified as political problems piled up for the Biden administration, including a blow in Virginia, a near-loss in a “safe” statewide New Jersey contest, and a publicly dysfunctional intra-party dynamic on Capitol Hill.

more
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/580807-sununu-announcement-hands-democrats-lifeline

[Fishrrman]

Time for our own Andy in NH to step up and run!   ;-)