New Hampshire Republican leaders aren’t satisfied with the current field of candidates vying to become the party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2026. Hope remains that former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu will enter the race and displace former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, staving off what they believe will be certain defeat against Democratic favorite Rep. Chris Pappas.
“If John Sununu gets in the race, it’s a total game changer,” Matt Mowers, New Hampshire Republican strategist and former Trump administration official, told the Washington Examiner. “There’s a broad and deep reservoir of support for him. Not only because of the special relationship he and his family have with New Hampshire voters, but because the party right now is left wanting right now. Primary voters just haven’t warmed to Brown, a Massachusetts senator with a liberal voting record.”
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According to multiple sources in New Hampshire GOP politics, dissatisfaction with Brown borders on disdain, fueled by allegations of sexual misconduct and reported personality clashes. Several sources referenced allegations levied against Scott during his tenure as U.S. Ambassador to Somoa in 2017, which led to a U.S. State Department investigation and a reprimand from State Department officials. Scott previously faced similar allegations while working as a Fox News contributor. He has denied wrongdoing in both instances.
In addition to these perceived headaches, Brown’s voting record during his brief stint in the Senate fuels mistrust among the party faithful, including his votes in favor of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform bill and several Democratic economic bills and his opposition to GOP efforts to roll back EPA regulations, earning him the label as a RINO to many.
But above all, Scott draws suspicion among New Hampshire Republicans for his frequently evolving stance toward Trump himself. An early endorser of Trump in 2016, Brown turned sharply against the president following the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, accusing him of “bearing responsibility” for inciting violence. Trump officials, who believed they had gone easy on Brown regarding the Somoa allegations, were especially dismayed.
By mid-2025, Brown, then aggressively seeking a Trump endorsement for his Senate bid, apologized for his Jan. 6 criticisms, calling his remarks “wrong” and saying, “I wake up every day thinking how lucky we are that we have him.” But by July, Brown appeared to shrug off the fact that Trump’s endorsement hadn’t come in yet, telling a local reporter, “Obviously, I would appreciate [President Trump’s] support, and I’ve obviously met with the team. More importantly, I care about the New Hampshire voters.”
Multiple sources also said that Brown’s personality just makes him difficult to like, which is especially damaging in New Hampshire due to the amount of attention individual politicians receive. One source who chose to remain anonymous says he witnessed Brown faltering during in-person appearances.
“He’s just not very personable,” the source said. “Barbeques, college Republican events, whatever the event is, Scott Brown just kind of acts like a d***.”
Brown, meanwhile, thinks his detractors are the ones who are out of touch with the Republican electorate. Brown told the Washington Examiner he would put up his record against anybody’s — including Sununu’s.
“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,” he said. “While John was supporting John Kasich in 2016, I was campaigning with Donald Trump. 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.”
Polling suggests Brown is in a difficult position with the state’s voters. Head-to-head polling shows him trailing Pappas by double digits, while a University of New Hampshire poll from September shows Brown’s favorability rating 27 points underwater. That same poll shows him trailing Sununu by 23 points in a hypothetical primary matchup, which coincides with other available polls. Meanwhile, Sununu is polling neck-and-neck in a hypothetical matchup with Pappas, who is considered a pragmatic moderate.
“Pappas is eminently beatable, but not easily beatable,” Mowers said. “Sununu, with the Sununu brand and name, would be able to pull it off. Few other candidates are going to be able to muster the type of campaign needed to beat Pappas.”
Sununu, son of popular former New Hampshire Gov. and White House chief of staff John H. Sununu and older brother of popular former Gov. Chris Sununu, has been exploring a bid since early September and is rumored to announce his candidacy this week. Cook Political Report currently characterizes the race as “lean Dem,” but the entry of Sununu would likely make it a toss-up.
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Brown is unfazed.
“I stopped one political dynasty before,” he said, “and I intend to do the same in 2026.”
