Republican former Sen. John Sununu is weighing a political comeback in New Hampshire, where his party is looking to make a run at a Democratic-held open Senate seat.
Sununu confirmed to WMUR-TV of Manchester that he will “seriously consider” a Senate run, saying he has received encouragement in recent weeks.
“We need someone to represent us in New Hampshire that has our values, that’s not going to vote a party line, that’s willing to take risks and get things done. I certainly agree, and I’m going to seriously consider a run,” Sununu said, adding that he will decide by the end of October.
Sununu has spoken by phone with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and former Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., the chairman of the GOP super PAC Senate Leadership Fund (who announced Tuesday that he was stepping down to take another job), according to two sources familiar with discussions.
Thune told NBC News that he was aware that Sununu was considering a run, adding: "Obviously I served with him in the past in both the House and Senate. I think he’d be a great candidate and a great senator."
Sununu represented New Hampshire in the Senate from 2003 through 2008 after having served in the House. He lost his bid for re-election in 2008 to Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who is retiring.
Sununu is part of a political dynasty in the state, where his father and his brother both have been governor. The politics news site NOTUS first reported that Sununu was considering another run. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Former Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, who was an ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa during President Donald Trump’s first term, is also running for the Senate in New Hampshire again, after having lost to Shaheen in 2014. The GOP field also includes state Sen. Dan Innis.
U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas is considered the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, and he responded to the news Sununu was considering running by saying that New Hampshire voters “want a new generation of leadership. ”
“Whether it’s corporate sellout John E. Sununu — who hasn’t held office in over two decades — or MAGA puppet Scott Brown, New Hampshire voters aren’t buying what the GOP is selling,” Pappas said. “While Republicans scramble to find Donald Trump’s perfect candidate, I will continue working to address the issues I hear most about from the people of my state — from bringing down rising costs to protecting their personal freedoms.”
Republicans are eyeing the New Hampshire race as they look to grow their 53-47 majority in the 2026 midterms, although they have some riper targets with Democrats defending two states that Trump won last year: Michigan and Georgia.
Trump lost New Hampshire by 3 points in 2024, and the state has been known to host competitive Senate races in recent years.
