(The Center Square) — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen won’t be running for reelection, becoming the third Senate Democrat to announce their departure ahead of the pivotal 2026 midterms.
The three-term Democrat, a former New Hampshire governor first elected to the Senate in 2008, announced on Wednesday that she made the “difficult” decision not to seek another six-year term in next year’s elections.
“Today, after careful consideration, I’m announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek reelection to the Senate in 2026,” Shaheen, 78, said in a video. “It’s just time.”
Shaheen said despite her pending departure from Congress, she isn’t done with politics.
“There are urgent challenges ahead, both here at home and around the world,” she said. “And while I’m not seeking re-election – believe me – I am not retiring. I am determined to work every day over the next two years and beyond, to continue to try and make a difference for the people of New Hampshire and this country.”
It’s unclear who might throw their hat in the ring to run for the Senate seat yet, but former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, told the Washington Times on Tuesday that he hasn’t ruled out a bid.
Sununu had been urged by national Republicans to run for U.S. Senate several years ago but opted for another term as governor. He told the newspaper President Donald Trump’s focus on making the federal government more efficient and accountable prompted him to rethink a run.
“That makes me think, OK, maybe things are changing,” he said. “Maybe there’s a path here.”
Meanwhile, former Massachusetts Republican Sen. Scott Brown, who lost a New Hampshire Senate race against Shaheen in 2014, has reportedly been weighing another run in the Granite State.
Republicans currently have a 53-47 edge in the U.S. Senate, and Democrats would need to flip at least four seats to win a majority in the 2026 midterms. The GOP holds the tie-breaking vice presidency.
New Hampshire’s four-member congressional delegation is controlled by Democrats, but Republicans are in control of the state government, and the state has a history of sending members of both parties to Washington.
