Former Sen. Sununu expected to enter New Hampshire Senate race: Report
by Max Rego - 10/15/25 6:09 PM ET
Former Sen. John E. Sununu (R-N.H.) is expected to launch a bid to return to the upper chamber in the near future, NOTUS reported Wednesday.
In March, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) announced she will not run for reelection in 2026, setting up an open-seat election in the Granite State.
Sununu, 61, previously represented New Hampshire in the Senate from 2003 to 2009. He lost reelection to Shaheen in 2008, and has not held elected office since.
Early last month, Sununu told WMUR9 that he was considering running for Senate, and would tour the state before making a decision by the end of October. He also told the outlet that if he were to run, he would seek the support of President Trump.
“We need someone to represent us in New Hampshire that has our values, that’s not [going to] vote a party line, that’s willing to take risks and get things done,” Sununu added.
He also posted a Politico story on his consideration of a run to the social platform X, saying, “Don’t call it a comeback.”
Sununu’s entering the race would pit him against former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown in the GOP primary. Brown, who entered the 2026 race in June, represented Massachusetts in the Senate from 2010 to 2013, but lost to Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2012.
Brown then moved to his native New Hampshire ahead of the 2014 election, losing to Shaheen in her reelection campaign that year. He later served as ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa during Trump’s first term.
Sununu’s entry also comes after his brother, former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), dealt Republicans a setback in electing not to run for Shaheen’s seat in April.
On the Democratic side, Rep. Chris Pappas, who announced his candidacy in April, is the highest-profile candidate. But Karishma Manzur, a member of the state Democratic Party’s rules committee, and state Rep. Jared Sullivan have also jumped into the race.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the race as a Democratic lean. A Republican has not won a New Hampshire Senate election since former Sen. Kelly Ayotte — now the state’s governor — did so in 2010.
The Hill has requested comment from the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5557297-sununu-senate-bid-2026/
