Retired Army Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc won the Republican nomination to compete against Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) in November.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has rated New Hampshire’s general election as “leans Democrat,” meaning Bolduc will have a challenging time unseating Hassan. Outlets called the race on Wednesday morning for Bolduc, who led state Senate President Chuck Morse 37% to 36%, with 82% of votes counted.
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Morse issued a statement overnight conceding the race.
“It’s been a long night & we’ve come up short. I want to thank my supporters for all the blood, sweat & tears they poured into this team effort,” he tweeted. “I just called and wished all the best to @GenDonBolduc. The focus this fall needs to be on defeating Maggie Hassan.”
Many Republicans fear Bolduc, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2020, will complicate the party’s efforts to defeat Hassan with his far-right platform in a purple state.
In the final weeks of the primary, the Republican establishment rallied around Morse as an alternative after a Democratic political action committee started boosting Bolduc, betting that he would be easier for Hassan to beat in November. White Mountain PAC, a group aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), spent millions in support of Morse.
Gov. Chris Sununu, who disappointed Republicans in the Beltway when he declined to enter the Senate race himself, endorsed Morse shortly before the contest.
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The primary also included businessman Vikram Mansharamani, former Londonderry Town Manager Kevin Smith, and Libertarian Bruce Fenton.
If Republicans were to defeat Hassan, it would mark a significant and largely unexpected gain for the GOP as the parties each seek to win a majority in the upper chamber. The evenly divided Senate is controlled by Democrats with Vice President Kamala Harris’s tiebreaking vote in her capacity as president of the Senate.
