2026 United States Senate election in New Hampshire

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2026 United States Senate election in New Hampshire
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Party Democratic Republican
Incumbent U.S. senator

Jeanne Shaheen
Democratic



The 2026 United States Senate election in New Hampshire will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of New Hampshire. Incumbent three-term Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen declined to seek re-election to a fourth term. [1]

Contents

This will be the first open Senate election in New Hampshire since 2010, and the first for this seat in which there is no incumbent running since 1990. [a]

Background

New Hampshire is considered to be a slightly to moderately blue state at the federal level, with Kamala Harris carrying the state by roughly 3 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election. The state’s congressional delegation has been entirely Democratic since 2017. However, Republicans control the governorship, both state legislative chambers, and a majority in the executive council. [2] [3]

Shaheen was first elected in 2008, defeating then-incumbent senator John Sununu, and was re-elected in 2014 and 2020. [4]

Democratic primary

Candidates

Publicly expressed interest

Potential

Declined

Republican primary

Candidates

Publicly expressed interest

Potential

Declined

General election

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Inside Elections [15] BattlegroundJanuary 17, 2025
The Cook Political Report [16] Lean DFebruary 11, 2025
Sabato's Crystal Ball [17] Lean DMarch 12, 2025

Polling

Hypothetical polling

Chris Pappas vs. Chris Sununu

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Chris
Pappas (D)		Chris
Sununu (R)		Undecided
Quantus Insights (R) [18] [A] March 17–19, 2025650 (RV)± 3.8%44%53%3%

Jeanne Shaheen vs. Chris Sununu

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Jeanne
Shaheen (D)		Chris
Sununu (R)		Undecided
Praecones Analytica [19] [B] February 26 – March 1, 2025626 (RV)± 4.5%46%54%–

Jeanne Shaheen vs. Frank Edelblut

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Jeanne
Shaheen (D)		Frank
Edelblut (R)		Undecided
Praecones Analytica [19] [B] February 26 – March 1, 2025626 (RV)± 4.5%59%41%–

Jeanne Shaheen vs. Scott Brown

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered		Sample
size [b] 		Margin
of error		Jeanne
Shaheen (D)		Scott
Brown (R)		Undecided
Praecones Analytica [19] [B] February 26 – March 1, 2025626 (RV)± 4.5%55%45%–

Notes

  1. ↑ Bob Smith, the incumbent Senator at the time, ran for re-election to a third term in 2002, but lost in the Republican primary to John E. Sununu.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear

Partisan clients

  1. 1 2 3 Poll conducted for the NHJournal

References

  1. 1 2 Belman, Felice (March 12, 2025). "Senator Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Democrat, Won't Run Again in 2026". The New York Times . Retrieved March 12, 2025.
  2. ↑ "New Hampshire keeps all-Democratic delegation with Pappas, Goodlander wins in US House races". AP News. November 5, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  3. ↑ "NH Republicans claim big State House wins and strengthen majorities in House and Senate". New Hampshire Public Radio. November 6, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  4. ↑ Castronuovo, Celine (November 4, 2020). "Shaheen wins reelection in New Hampshire". The Hill. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  5. ↑ Sexton, Adam (March 16, 2025). "Maggie Goodlander mulls run for U.S. Senate". WMUR-TV . Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  6. ↑ Solender, Andrew (March 12, 2025). "Scoop: Rep. Chris Pappas eyes Jeanne Shaheen's newly open N.H. Senate seat". Axios . Retrieved March 12, 2025. Former Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), who retired from Congress this year, told Axios she 'will take a serious look if Pappas does not run.'
  7. ↑ Mitropoulos, Arielle (March 18, 2025). "Pappas says he's considering possible run for Senate". WMUR-TV . Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  8. ↑ Graham, Michael (March 13, 2025). "Shaheen's Retirement Starts Round of NHDems Musical Chairs". NH Journal. Retrieved March 14, 2025. There has long been speculation that Shaheen's daughter Stefany might be a natural successor to her mother's seat.
  9. ↑ Sexton, Adam (December 19, 2024). "Former US Sen. Scott Brown considers 2026 run". WMUR-TV . Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  10. ↑ Sexton, Adam (January 17, 2025). "New Hampshire developer focused on workforce housing considers U.S. Senate run". WMUR-TV . Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  11. ↑ McLaughlin, Seth (March 11, 2025). "Former NH Gov. Chris Sununu reconsidering run for U.S. Senate". The Washington Times . Retrieved March 11, 2025.
  12. ↑ Graham, Michael (March 17, 2025). "NH Republicans Eying Possible Open Congressional Seats Amid Goodlander-Pappas Chatter". NH Journal. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Pindell, James (March 12, 2025). "Shaheen is out. What it means. What will happen next. And the three big looming questions in N.H. politics". The Boston Globe .
  14. ↑ Nir, David; Singer, Jeff (March 13, 2025). "Morning Digest: Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire institution, will retire from the Senate". The Downballot. Retrieved March 13, 2025. Gov. Kelly Ayotte, though, unequivocally said she wasn't interested in returning to the Senate this cycle.
  15. ↑ "Senate Ratings". Inside Elections. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  16. ↑ "2026 CPR Senate Race Ratings". Cook Political Report. Retrieved February 11, 2025.
  17. ↑ "2026 Senate ratings". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Sununu Leads Pappas in Hypothetical New Hampshire Senate Matchup". Quantus Insights. March 20, 2025. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  19. 1 2 3 Graham, Michael (March 2, 2025). "EXCLUSIVE POLL: Age Issue Dogs Shaheen, Trails Sununu by 9 Points". NHJournal. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
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