Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) on Tuesday said he will not run for Senate in 2026, dealing a setback for the GOP in one of next year’s battlegrounds.
Sununu, who served as governor for four two-year terms before not seeking reelection in November, announced his decision in an interview with local news outlets the Pulse of New Hampshire.
“I’m not going to run,” Sununu said, according to NH Journal. “I really thought about it. I actually talked to the White House this morning. I talked to Tim Scott. Thanked him for all their support and confidence and all that. But I don’t have to be the candidate, and I’m not going to be the candidate.”
His moves comes after initially ruling out a run for Senate before signaling more openness to it. As a former governor who enjoyed a strong approval rating and comfortable reelection victories, Sununu was seen as among the best candidates that Republicans could put up to try to succeed the retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).
Speculation that Sununu may run was further stoked on Sunday after President Trump revealed that he met with Sununu in the Oval Office and declared his support for his potential candidacy. Trump said he hoped that Sununu would run and expected that he would win.
Sununu’s decision could boost the prospects for former Sen. Scott Brown, a Republican who represented Massachusetts in the Senate from 2010 to 2013 but moved to the Granite State a decade ago and has expressed interest in running for the seat.
