John E. Sununu Joins Competitive New Hampshire GOP Senate Primary

John E. Sununu, a former U.S. senator and member of a prominent political family in New Hampshire, has officially launched his campaign for the Republican nomination to reclaim the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. Sununu, who served one Senate term before losing to Shaheen in 2008, aims to bring a pragmatic voice focused on fiscal restraint, bipartisan cooperation, and solutions-oriented leadership to Washington, emphasizing the need to "lower the temperature" in a dysfunctional political environment. His entry sets up a competitive Republican primary against former Senator Scott Brown, who has aligned more closely with former President Donald Trump, whereas Sununu supported Nikki Haley in the 2024 GOP presidential primary and has criticized Trump. National Republicans view Sununu as a strong candidate capable of helping the GOP maintain its Senate majority and potentially flip a key New England seat, which would strengthen their position against Democrats at least through 2028. However, Sununu must first navigate a primary where his past opposition to Trump may be a liability, despite leading in recent polling against Brown. The race is seen as a critical test for Republicans aiming to regain influence in a region typically dominated by Democrats.