Posted on 10/24/2025 5:48:48 AM PDT by Twotone
The New Hampshire Senate race was shaken up on Wednesday when former Senator John Sununu jumped into the Republican primary.
Sununu was a senator for the Granite State from 2003 until 2009 and served in the House of Representatives prior to that. He is the brother of former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu. In 2008, he was defeated by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, who is now retiring, leaving the seat open and highly competitive.
“It’s been awhile since you elected me to serve New Hampshire, and boy have things changed. Washington’s never been perfect. It’s not meant to be,” the former senator said in his launch video.
“But when I was there, people with different opinions could get together, work things out, and come to solutions that made a real difference. But now Congress just seems loud, dysfunctional, even angry,” he said, saying that somebody needs to help “lower the temperature” and “get things done.”
Sununu got the backing of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, currently led by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).
“John Sununu’s deep roots and passion for the Granite State make him built to win. New Hampshire is ready for a proven leader who stands up for seniors, fights for economic and educational opportunity, and delivers real solutions to make life more affordable and prosperous,” Scott said on Wednesday morning.
“Granite Staters are fed up with Democrats like Chris Pappas, who is beholden to Nancy Pelosi and the most radical elements of his party instead of New Hampshire families. The [NRSC] is all-in for [Sununu]!” he added.
Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, who was the former Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa during President Donald Trump’s first term in office, is also vying for the open seat.
“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. While John was supporting John Kasich in 2016, I was campaigning with Donald Trump,” Brown told The Daily Wire in a statement regarding Sununu’s entrance.
“While John was fighting for special interests, I was serving in the first Trump administration. While John was wooing the DC establishment this summer, I have been working with grassroots activists across the Granite State. Senate seats are earned, not handed down. I stopped one political dynasty before, and intend to do the same in 2026,” the Republican continued.
On the Democratic side, Rep. Chris Pappas is considered the frontrunner in the race, currently ranked by the Cook Political Report as “Leans Democrat.”
“This race just became one of the most competitive in the country, and I’m up against deep-pocketed special interests,” the Democrat posted to X on Wednesday morning.
The Daily Wire reached out to Pappas’ campaign for comment.
For those who follow Sununu, is he worth a damn?
Probably good news. Big Haley supporter but is now warm with DjT.
Last week he said he was not running for anything as he was happily representing an airline industry, or Air Traffic Controllers, iirc.
Something changed.
If he can win, then yes he is worth a damn. During his time in Congress he was actually much more conservative than anyone would expect from a “Sununu”.
Sununu trails in every poll so far against Chris Pappas (D), but then hadn’t actually entered the race at the time those polls were taken.
Pappas is a typical liberal Democrat who is trying to fake to the center now that he covets a higher office. Many NH votes will be fooled, unfortunately. It will be an uphill battle for Sununu, financially and electorally.
NH is one of those “close (sometimes) but no cigar for the Republican” states like Nevada, New Jersey, Virginia, Minnesota. A fluke outcome can occasionally occur, but in any important election the playing field is always tilted in favor of the other team.
Pretty much NO!
NH and VA need the Scott Presler touch. Register the hell out of GOP voters and hit the door knocking.
It worked in PA, no sure if it will work in NJ but I bet VA and NH could be good targets.
Ummmmm…..Sunnunu would be about 10,000 times better than any Democrat. Good lord, our margins are paper thin in the Senate. It’s a home run if he can win.
I’ve always liked Scott Brown but it’s just plain weird that FORMER US senators are recycling through again..That’s pretty much the same as not being able to get rid of dems for good - they always return but I don’t think even when they are out, into something else, they ever run again for the same seat...maybe wrong...wouldn’t be the first time!
Let’s not talk about long, wrong-run sentences....
New Hampshire is such a tiny state that any help from Presler could go a very long way.
Republicans already do outnumber Democrats in NH (independents outnumber both) but every little bit helps.
In PA long-term registration trends were already favoring the GOP even before Presler jumped in — but what he was able to accomplish in 2024 might have made a difference in getting wins for Trump, McCormick and picking up 2 House seats.
“For those who follow Sununu, is he worth a damn?”
If he’s running against a Democrat, then your answer should be OBVIOUS. If you’re referring to a Primary...that’s a judgment call.
“NH is one of those “close (sometimes) but no cigar for the Republican” states like Nevada, New Jersey, Virginia, Minnesota. A fluke outcome can occasionally occur, but in any important election the playing field is always tilted in favor of the other team.”
Did NH ever do anything about the busloads of college students from Massachusetts who drive up to register and vote on the same day, in order to have ‘more impact’ than simply voting in deep blue Massachusetts? I know they talked about trying to stop that crap, but the kind of laws encouraging that behavior are difficult to change.
Unless something has changed recently, New Hampshire still allows same-day voter registration (as do about 20 other states).
Ironically, Massachusetts does *not* allow same-day registration. I guess that’s why their voters need to invade other states for that purpose. /s
I may be wrong but NH Secretary of State David Scanlan seems like a solid conservative; he can’t make laws though. Republicans control the state House and Senate, but undoubtedly with the help of numerous squishes who would likely be too timid to take a stand on something as “controversial” as election integrity.
Since control of the state House swings back and forth like a gate — control of the NH House has flipped 6 times since 2006 — the GOP might want to take some action soon if they ever intend to take action at all (which is doubtful).
...and I remember the ONLY residency test in NH was a question: Do you live or intend to live in New Hampshire? The Amhurst Girls would, of course, answer yes, then vote, then change their mind and get on the bus to go back to Amhurst.
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