Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) announced on Wednesday that she would not seek reelection in 2026 in a blow to Democrats, who will now have to defend her New Hampshire seat against the GOP.
“Serving the people of New Hampshire, first as state senator, then as governor, and now in the United States Senate is an incredible honor,” Shaheen, 78, said in a video announcement on her retirement.
“I ran for public office to make a difference for the people of New Hampshire, that purpose has never and will never change,” she continued. “But today, after careful consideration, I’m announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek re-election to the Senate in 2026. It’s just time.”
Shaheen was the Granite State’s first female governor. Her election to the Senate in 2008 made her the first woman to have served as governor and senator. She is also the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Shaheen’s decision not to run for a fourth term in New Hampshire, a famously purple state, complicates the Democratic Party’s efforts to retake control of the Senate.
Several Republicans are already considering jumping into the race, with Shaheen’s exit likely inspiring even more excitement among the GOP that it can flip her seat.
“Another one! Shaheen’s retirement is welcome news for Granite Staters eager for new leadership. New Hampshire has a proud tradition of electing common-sense Republicans—and will do so again in 2026!” wrote Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, on X.
Former Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said he wouldn’t run for the Senate seat before recently signaling he could enter the race.
“I have not ruled it out completely, but folks in Washington have asked me to think about it and to consider it, and that is just kind of where I am,” Sununu told the Washington Times on Tuesday.
Former Sen. Scott Brown is another Republican who could challenge Sununu for the GOP nomination. Brown attended the Senate GOP lunch at Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Brown did not appear to rule out a run when commenting on the news that Shaheen won’t seek reelection.
“I appreciate @jeanneshaheen’s service to our state and for her support and vote for me as NH’s Ambassador to NZ and Samoa,” Brown wrote on X after Shaheen’s announcement went public. “Now it’s time for New Hampshire to have someone in the delegation who fights for our priorities and stands with, not against, the Trump agenda.”
At least one Democrat, Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH), is “definitely considering” entering the race, according to reporting from Axios.
New Hampshire voted for then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the November presidential election and selected Republican Kelly Ayotte for governor in the same year.
But if Sununu were to run, he could have a credible shot at the seat, given his popularity in the Granite State.
Shaheen is the third Democrat not to seek reelection after Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Tina Smith (D-MN) announced they were retiring from the Senate.
Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, with few pickup seats for the Democrats to target. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) is one of the vulnerable lawmakers in the upper chamber whom Democrats are attempting to unseat, but with the three seats Democrats have to defend, the path to Senate control will be difficult.
