Former Senator John E. Sununu (R-N.H.) is reportedly preparing to launch a campaign to return to the U.S. Senate, according to NOTUS on Wednesday.
This development follows Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) announcement in March that she will not seek reelection in 2026, leaving an open seat in New Hampshire.
Sununu, 61, previously represented New Hampshire in the Senate from 2003 to 2009.
He lost his reelection bid to Shaheen in 2008 and has not held public office since.
Last month, Sununu told WMUR9 that he is seriously considering running and would tour the state before making a decision by the end of October.
He also indicated that he would seek the endorsement of former President Donald Trump if he runs.
“We need someone to represent us in New Hampshire that has our values, that’s not [going to] vote a party line, that’s willing to take risks and get things done,” Sununu said.
He also shared a Politico story on X regarding his potential candidacy, stating, “Don’t call it a comeback.”
If Sununu enters the race, he will face former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown in the Republican primary.
Brown, who announced his 2026 Senate bid in June, served Massachusetts from 2010 to 2013 but lost to Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren in 2012.
Brown later moved to New Hampshire, where he ran unsuccessfully against Shaheen in 2014 and served as ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa under Trump.
Sununu’s potential run follows his brother, former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu’s decision not to enter the race in April, which was seen as a setback for the Republican Party.
On the Democratic side, Congressman Chris Pappas, who declared his candidacy in April, is considered the most prominent contender.
Other Democratic entrants include Karishma Manzur, a member of the state Democratic Party’s rules committee, and state Representative Jared Sullivan.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report currently rates the seat as leaning Democratic.
No Republican has won a New Hampshire Senate election since Kelly Ayotte in 2010.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has not yet commented on Sununu’s potential candidacy.
