2026 United States Senate election in New Hampshire
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| Elections in New Hampshire |
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The 2026 United States Senate election in New Hampshire will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of New Hampshire. Incumbent three-term Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen declined to seek re-election to a fourth term.[1]
This will be the first open Senate election in New Hampshire since 2010, and the first for this seat since 1990.[a]
Background
[edit]New Hampshire is considered to be a slightly to moderately blue state at the federal level, with Kamala Harris carrying the state by roughly 3 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. The state’s congressional delegation has been entirely Democratic since 2017. However, Republicans control the governorship, both state legislative chambers, and a majority in the executive council.[2][3]
Shaheen was first elected in 2008, defeating then-incumbent senator John Sununu in a rematch, and was re-elected in 2014 and 2020.[4]
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Chris Pappas, U.S. representative for New Hampshire's 1st congressional district (2019–present)[5]
Publicly expressed interest
[edit]- Maggie Goodlander, U.S. representative for New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district (2025–present)[6]
Declined
[edit]- Annie Kuster, former U.S. representative for New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district (2013–2025) (endorsed Pappas)[7]
- Jeanne Shaheen, incumbent U.S. Senator (2009–present)[1]
- Andru Volinsky, former Executive Councilor (2017–2021) and candidate for governor in 2020[8]
Endorsements
[edit]Chris Pappas
- U.S. executive branch officials
- U.S. representatives
- Annie Kuster, former U.S. representative for New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district (2013–2025)[7]
- State legislators
- Evan Low, former California state assemblymember from the 26th district (2014–2024)[10]
- Organizations
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Publicly expressed interest
[edit]- Scott Brown, former U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa (2017–2020), former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (2010–2013), and nominee for this seat in 2014[12]
- Jack Franks, real estate developer[13]
Potential
[edit]- Lou Gargiulo, former state representative (1992–1996)[14]
- Corey Lewandowski, political strategist and former campaign manager for the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign[14]
- Matt Mowers, former chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party, nominee for New Hampshire's 1st congressional district in 2020 and candidate in 2022[14]
- Stephen Stepanek, former chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party (2019–2023) and former state representative (2014–2016)[14]
Declined
[edit]- Kelly Ayotte, Governor of New Hampshire (2025–present) and former U.S. Senator (2011–2017)[15]
- Chris Sununu, former governor of New Hampshire (2017–2025) and brother of former U.S. Senator John Sununu[16]
- Lily Tang Williams, former chair of the Colorado Libertarian Party, nominee for New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district in 2024 and candidate in 2022, and Libertarian nominee for U.S. Senate in Colorado in 2016 (running for U.S. House)[17][18]
Endorsements
[edit]Chris Sununu (declined)
- U.S. presidents
- Donald Trump, 45th and 47th president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)[19]
General election
[edit]Predictions
[edit]| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Elections[20] | Battleground | Feb 20, 2025 |
| The Cook Political Report[21] | Lean D | Feb 13, 2025 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[22] | Lean D | Mar 12, 2025 |
| Race To The WH[23] | Tilt D | Apr 16, 2025 |
Polling
[edit]Hypothetical polling
Chris Pappas vs. Chris Sununu
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Chris Pappas (D) |
Chris Sununu (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantus Insights (R)[24][A] | March 17–19, 2025 | 650 (RV) | ± 3.8% | 44% | 53% | 3% |
Jeanne Shaheen vs. Chris Sununu
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Jeanne Shaheen (D) |
Chris Sununu (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Praecones Analytica[25][B] | February 26 – March 1, 2025 | 626 (RV) | ± 4.5% | 46% | 54% | – |
Jeanne Shaheen vs. Frank Edelblut
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Jeanne Shaheen (D) |
Frank Edelblut (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Praecones Analytica[25][B] | February 26 – March 1, 2025 | 626 (RV) | ± 4.5% | 59% | 41% | – |
Jeanne Shaheen vs. Scott Brown
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Jeanne Shaheen (D) |
Scott Brown (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Praecones Analytica[25][B] | February 26 – March 1, 2025 | 626 (RV) | ± 4.5% | 55% | 45% | – |
Notes
[edit]Partisan clients
References
[edit]- ^ a b Belman, Felice (March 12, 2025). "Senator Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Democrat, Won't Run Again in 2026". The New York Times. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ "New Hampshire keeps all-Democratic delegation with Pappas, Goodlander wins in US House races". AP News. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "NH Republicans claim big State House wins and strengthen majorities in House and Senate". New Hampshire Public Radio. November 6, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ Castronuovo, Celine (November 4, 2020). "Shaheen wins reelection in New Hampshire". The Hill. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ Sexton, Adam (April 3, 2025). "News 9 Exclusive: Chris Pappas announces he will run for U.S. Senate". WMUR-TV. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ Sexton, Adam (March 16, 2025). "Maggie Goodlander mulls run for U.S. Senate". WMUR-TV. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Solender, Andrew (March 12, 2025). "Scoop: Rep. Chris Pappas eyes Jeanne Shaheen's newly open N.H. Senate seat". Axios. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
Former Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), who retired from Congress this year, told Axios she 'will take a serious look if Pappas does not run.'
- ^ Sexton, Adam (March 30, 2025). Andru Volinsky debuts new book on fight for education funding. WMUR-TV. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
[Adam Sexton]: Are you interested in running for U.S. Senate at all in 2026? [Andru Volinsky]: My focus is the book.
- ^ Lips, Evan (April 4, 2025). "Both Parties Optimistic About NH01 Fight in 2026". NH Journal. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
- ^ a b "LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Endorses Chris Pappas for U.S. Senate". LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
- ^ "End Citizens United Endorses Representative Chris Pappas for U.S. Senate". April 3, 2025. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ^ Sexton, Adam (December 19, 2024). "Former US Sen. Scott Brown considers 2026 run". WMUR-TV. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ Sexton, Adam (January 17, 2025). "New Hampshire developer focused on workforce housing considers U.S. Senate run". WMUR-TV. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Pindell, James (March 12, 2025). "Shaheen is out. What it means. What will happen next. And the three big looming questions in N.H. politics". The Boston Globe.
- ^ Nir, David; Singer, Jeff (March 13, 2025). "Morning Digest: Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire institution, will retire from the Senate". The Downballot. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte, though, unequivocally said she wasn't interested in returning to the Senate this cycle.
- ^ Porter, Steven (April 8, 2025). "Former N.H. governor Chris Sununu says he won't run for US Senate in 2026". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ^ Graham, Michael (March 17, 2025). "NH Republicans Eying Possible Open Congressional Seats Amid Goodlander-Pappas Chatter". NH Journal. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
2024 nominee Lily Tang Williams told NHJournal she is 'open minded' to the possibilities of running for either the House or Senate.
- ^ Lips, Evan (April 10, 2025). "Lily Tang Williams Enters 2nd CD Race as Goodlander Considers Senate Run". NH Journal. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
- ^ Samuels, Brett (April 6, 2025). "Trump says he hopes Sununu runs for Senate in New Hampshire". The Hill. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
- ^ "Senate Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ "2026 CPR Senate Race Ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
- ^ "2026 Senate ratings". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
- ^ "2026 Senate Forecast". Race to the WH. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
- ^ "Sununu Leads Pappas in Hypothetical New Hampshire Senate Matchup". Quantus Insights. March 20, 2025. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
- ^ a b c Graham, Michael (March 2, 2025). "EXCLUSIVE POLL: Age Issue Dogs Shaheen, Trails Sununu by 9 Points". NHJournal. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Official campaign websites