Tag Archives: John E. Sununu

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen to Retire

By Jim Ellis — Thursday, March 13, 2025

Senate

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (2008 file photo) / Photo by Gage Skidmore

Yesterday, three-term New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) announced that she will not seek re-election next year, ending what will be a 30-year career in elective politics counting her time as Governor and in the state Senate.

Shaheen is now the fourth Senator, three of whom are Democrats, who will not seek re-election in 2026. While the national Senate map favors the Dems because they must protect only 13 of 35 in-cycle campaigns, having to defend three open seats, all of which are competitive (Minnesota; New Hampshire) to highly competitive (Michigan) decreases the party’s odds of reclaiming the Senate majority.

Sen. Shaheen is the first woman in American history to be elected as a Governor and US Senator. She first won her state Senate seat in southeastern New Hampshire in 1990 where she served three two-year terms. Elected Governor in 1996, she would again maintain her office for three two-year terms.

Attempting to move to the Senate in 2002, Shaheen lost to then-Rep. John E. Sununu (R) and was out of elective politics until 2008 when she returned to win that same Senate seat, defeating Sununu in a re-match.

In her three victorious Senate elections, Shaheen averaged 53.2 percent of the vote. Though not seeking re-election in 2026, Sen. Shaheen vows she is “not retiring.” She will serve the remainder of the current term and continue being an activist after she leaves office, according to her statements in yesterday’s video announcement.

The Shaheen decision is not particularly surprising. The Senator had not committed to running again and repeatedly said she would decide at a later date. A poll was released last week, however, (from Praecones Analytica; Feb. 26-March 1; 626 registered New Hampshire voters; online) that found her trailing former Gov. Chris Sununu (R) by eight percentage points with over 60 percent responding that they are concerned or somewhat concerned about the Senator’s age if she were to seek another six-year term. Sen. Shaheen, if she were to run in 2026 and serve through 2032 would be 85 years old.

Previously, Sununu indicated he was not interested in running for the Senate, but just recently stated that he might be reconsidering his position. Now that the seat will be open, Republican leaders will engage a “full court press” to recruit the former four-term Governor into the Senate race. For the Democrats, the leading prospective candidate appears to be four-term 1st District Rep. Chris Pappas (D-Manchester).

First elected in 2018, Pappas has secured the eastern New Hampshire seat that was once considered the most competitive district in the nation, defeating more incumbents than re-electing them from 2004 until Pappas’ victory in 2018. Other potential Democratic candidates include former Rep. Annie Kuster and potentially freshman Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-Nashua), though she would likely yield to Pappas if he decides to run.

Should Sununu not run, expect former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown to possibly make another attempt at returning to the Senate from New Hampshire. In 2014, he challenged Sen. Shaheen but lost 51-48 percent. Other potential Republican candidates are Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais and Executive Councilor Janet Stevens. Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R), a former Senator who was defeated for re-election in 2016 but then elected Governor in 2024, would be likely to seek re-election instead of a return to the Senate.

Chris Sununu became only the second person to win four consecutive Governors’ elections in New Hampshire. His Senate candidacy would clearly give the Republicans’ their best chance of converting the seat. With another Republican as the party standard bearer, Democrats would again have the advantage in the general election.

Should Rep. Pappas run, count on a major effort from both parties to capture the swing 1st District. With such a small House majority, both parties will be striving to win every possible seat, and the NH-1 seat becoming open, noting the region’s long history of flipping between the two parties, means that we will see a major national campaign being fought in this CD.

With the Shaheen retirement, the New Hampshire political musical chairs show will soon begin. This open Senate seat, and what could be a highly competitive open House district, means the Granite State will become one of the key battleground regions in the 2026 midterm election.

New Hampshire Senate Race is
Suddenly a “Toss Up”

Oct. 7, 2015 — New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) announced Monday that she will challenge Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) next year. Rumors abounded since the time Hassan was re-elected to a second two-year term that she would in fact make the move to the Senate race. Recently, however, it appeared that the chances of her giving up the governorship in order to challenge the Republican incumbent were becoming lesser. So, the announcement came as a mild surprise.

The move increases the Democrats’ chances of re-taking the Senate because they put another state in play. This is clearly now a toss-up race, featuring two veteran statewide candidates in the most unpredictable of political states. No place has defeated more federal incumbents since 2006 than New Hampshire. Beginning with Jeanne Shaheen’s (D) victory over then-Sen. John E. Sununu (R) nine years ago, the electorate has subsequently unseated six congressional incumbents while only re-electing three during this five-election period.

The New Hampshire political tides have also been strong. Except for the governor’s office, which has remained primarily in Democratic hands, the state has swept out the entire slate of both party office holders almost routinely in the past 10 years.

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Virginia Governor Update

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling

In what will probably become the closest of the 2013 elections, significant action is already occurring in the open Virginia governor’s race. Since this state is the only one in the nation that still imposes a one-term limit on its chief executive, the odd-year election is always incumbent-less and thereby competitive. Next year’s campaign will be no exception.

Already, the Republican nomination situation is coming into focus. Clearly understanding that he could not win majority support in a statewide nominating convention against the more conservative Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling is again dropping plans to run for governor — this time with bad blood. Four years ago, Bolling stepped aside to give then-AG Bob McDonnell a clear shot at winning the nomination.

Objecting to the Republican Party of Virginia’s decision to replace a primary election with a convention, Bolling is not only exiting the governor’s race but says he will retire as lieutenant governor, too. “Under normal circumstances, I would be open to the possibility of running for another term as lieutenant governor, but I would not be interested in running on a statewide ticket with Mr. Cuccinelli,” he stated in a parting quote. Bolling’s reluctant action will now give Cuccinelli the opportunity of becoming the consensus Republican candidate.

On the Democratic side, former national committee chairman Terry McAuliffe, who fared poorly in the party’s gubernatorial primary four years ago losing to eventual nominee Creigh Deeds 50-26 percent, is indicating he will be back for another run. Former one-term Congressman Tom Perriello (D-VA-5) is also a potential Democratic candidate.

NOTES:

 
NC-7 Recount

Only one county remains to be re-canvassed in one of the closest House races in the country, the North Carolina contest between Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC-7) and state Sen. David Rouzer (R). When the recount began, McIntyre’s lead was 655 votes. Through the current portion of the almost completed process, the congressman has actually increased his lead by eight votes to a margin of 663 tallies. It is only now a matter of time before McIntyre is awarded an official victory. Expect this Wilmington-anchored 7th District to be a major Republican target in 2014.

New Hampshire Senate

Already, the first 2014 Senate poll has been conducted. Public Policy Polling (Nov. 14-15; 1,018 New Hampshire registered voters) surveyed a hypothetical pairing between first-term Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) and former Sen. John E. Sununu (R). The results stake the incumbent to a 53-42 percent advantage. There is no indication that Sununu will run again, but PPP often tests the most well-known political figures against incumbents before a field of actual challengers comes to the forefront. Sen. Shaheen’s job approval is 51:36 percent favorable to unfavorable.