Former New Hampshire Republican Senator John E. Sununu announced his candidacy for the Senate on Wednesday, attempting to reclaim the seat he lost back in 2008.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen defeated Sununu after he served just one term in the Senate. Before that, Sununu represented New Hampshire’s 1st district for three terms in the House of Representatives.
“Maybe you’re surprised to hear that I’m running for the Senate again. I’m a bit surprised myself,” Sununu said in a video announcement. “Why would anyone subject themselves to everything going on there right now? Well, somebody has to step up and lower the temperature. Somebody has to get things done.”
Sununu, 61, will face off against another former Republican senator in the primary, barring any additional candidates entering the race. Scott Brown, who announced his candidacy in June, previously served Massachusetts as a senator until he lost to Democrat Elizabeth Warren in 2012 and subsequently moved to New Hampshire. Brown has close ties with President Donald Trump, even serving as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa during Trump’s first term, while Sununu has been openly critical of the president.
“Anyone who thinks that a never Trump, corporate lobbyist who hasn’t won an election in a quarter century will resonate with today’s GOP primary voters is living in a different universe,” Brown said in a statement.
Scion of a well known political dynasty, Sununu opted to jump into the race after his brother, former New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu rejected the GOP’s overtures to have him run in the Senate race. He is also the son of former New Hampshire governor and White House Chief of Staff John H. Sununu.
Sununu faces an uphill battle in securing Trump’s invaluable endorsement after writing an op-ed labeling Trump a “loser” ahead of the New Hampshire presidential primary last year, which Trump went on to win by eleven points. Sununu endorsed Nikki Haley in the primary. He has also been a staunch critic of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election in his work with the Democracy Defense Project, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to restoring trust in elections.
“New Hampshire voters are witnessing a formidable Republican field poised to make this seat competitive in 2026,” RNC Regional Communications Director Kristen Cianci told National Review. “This combined with Chris Pappas’s weak candidacy and far-Left history should have everyone taking a second look at this race.”
Currently, Senate Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage leading up to the midterm elections. New Hampshire often elects Democratic senators, making the seat difficult to clinch for Republicans.
On the Democratic side, Republican candiates will face off against Democratic Representative Chris Pappas and progressive activist Karishma Manzur.
If elected, Sununu said he plans to focus on the economy, veterans, lowering health-care costs, and Social Security.
“John E. Sununu is a respected leader and a trusted voice for New Hampshire whose candidacy instantly expands the Senate map and puts the Granite State in play for Republicans,” the Senate Leadership Fund, a group focused on strengthening the GOP stronghold in the Senate, said in a statement.