Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, said Tuesday he will not run for the U.S. Senate in 2026.
During an appearance on The Pulse of NH, Sununu, who was a popular governor, said he will not seek to replace retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., in a competitive state Republicans hope to flip.
"It's not for me," Sununu told The Pulse's Mike Pomp. "I talked to the White House this morning. I talked to [South Carolina U.S. Sen.] Tim Scott. Thanked him for all their support and confidence. But I don't have to be the candidate, and I'm not going to be the candidate."
Scott is chairman of Senate Republicans' campaign arm.
President Donald Trump recently said he "fully" supported Sununu and encouraged him to enter the Senate race.
Sununu had irritated Trump and the president's allies during the GOP primaries last year, when the then-governor initially supported former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, R-S.C., for the party's presidential nomination.
News that Sununu would not run to replace Shaheen could offer a boost to the potential candidacy of former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, who served as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa during Trump's first term.
"@ChrisSununu and the entire Sununu family are patriots who have made our state a better place – looking forward to seeing what's next for him and working alongside him for New Hampshire's future #nhpolitics," Brown, who like Sununu met recently with national Republicans in Washington, D.C., posted on X.
After Sununu's announcement, National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Nick Puglia issued a statement, Punchbowl News reported.
"While Democrats duke it out in a race to the left, we are excited about the number of candidates we are talking to who appreciate the privilege of representing Granite Staters in the Senate and are ready to build winnings campaigns," Puglia said.
Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., announced last week he's running to replace Shaheen and keep the seat blue.
Pappas took a swipe at Sununu before the former governor announced he will not run.
"Chris Sununu went to the White House to nab an endorsement while Trump was destroying the economy and pushing devastating cuts to Medicaid," Pappas posted Monday on X. "Apparently the cost of a Trump endorsement is selling out New Hampshire. Hope it was worth it."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.