New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) kicked off an open race for her Senate seat with her announcement Wednesday that she would not seek another term in office.
Shaheen’s announcement makes her the third Senate Democrat to announce their retirement for the upcoming cycle, after Michigan Sen. Gary Peters and Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith. With her retirement, Republicans are eying the seat as a potential pickup opportunity to expand their 53-seat majority.
“Shaheen’s retirement is welcome news for Granite Staters eager for new leadership. New Hampshire has a proud tradition of electing common-sense Republicans—and will do so again in 2026!” Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the chair of Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, said on social media.
Even before Shaheen’s announcement, some rumored candidates were floated on both sides of the aisle, and the speculation will only increase now that her decision is official.
On the Democratic side, the most obvious choice is Rep. Chris Pappas, who has represented New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District in the House since 2019. A source familiar with Pappas’s thinking told The Hill that the congressman is strongly considering a Senate run.
Pappas previously served in the state House and on the New Hampshire Executive Council, which administers the state along with the governor. He is the first openly gay man to represent New Hampshire in Congress and would be the first openly gay U.S. senator from the state.
If Pappas chooses not to run, his former fellow Democratic New Hampshire Congress member, Annie Kuster, may go for it, telling Axios she will take a serious look if Pappas passes. Kuster represented New Hampshire’s 2nd Congressional District from 2013 until she retired from office in January.
Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Kuster’s successor, would be another possible choice, though her House career just started this year. Her husband is former national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
For the GOP, former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown had expressed some interest in possibly running for the seat before Shaheen’s announcement. He would bring a reputation as a more moderate Republican in a state also known for backing moderate candidates on both sides of the aisle.
Brown won a special election to succeed the late Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy (D) in a stunning upset in 2010, serving the remainder of Kennedy’s term. But he lost the 2012 election for a full term to now-Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D).
Brown then moved to the Granite State and challenged Shaheen as she sought a second term in 2014, but he narrowly lost to her. He eventually served as the U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa from 2017 to 2020 during the first Trump administration.
He told The Hill, “Yeah, of course,” when asked if he was considering a run as he was seen visiting Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday. If elected, he would be one of just a couple people to represent two different states in the Senate.
Another possible contender is former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), even though he seemed to rule out a run last year after wrapping up his eighth year as a popular governor.
Also previously serving on the New Hampshire Executive Council, Sununu established a reputation as a moderate governor who was willing to buck President Trump. He ultimately voted for the president after being an outspoken supporter of GOP primary rival Nikki Haley.
Sununu told The Washington Times on Tuesday that he hasn’t ruled out running for the seat.
“I have not ruled it out completely, but folks in Washington have asked me to think about it and to consider it, and that is just kind of where I am,” he said.
Caroline Vakil contributed reporting
