New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen will reportedly not seek reelection in 2026, ending a lengthy and unique political career and making it more difficult for Democrats to win a Senate majority.
In a state known for its erratic voters, her decision to not run for a fourth term will instantly spark a fierce contest.
Voters in New Hampshire elected Democrats to Congress and backed former Vice President Kamala Harris for president in autumn, but they also chose a Republican governor and increased Republican majorities in the state legislature.
As the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ms. Shaheen was the nation’s first female governor and U.S. senator.
She was also the first woman elected to the office of governor of New Hampshire. In the interview, she mentioned that she will have been in politics for 50 years and held elected office for 30 of those years.
Former Massachusetts senator Scott Brown, who moved to New Hampshire after serving one term, is one of the Republicans actively thinking about running for the Senate from New Hampshire next year.
In 2014, he nearly defeated Ms. Shaheen, and during Mr. Trump’s first term, he was appointed ambassador to New Zealand.
Chris Sununu, a Republican and the state’s most popular former governor, has declared his intention to not run.
Ms. Shaheen is the third Democrat to declare plans to retire in the Senate, where Republicans control a 53-to-47 advantage, after Senators Tina Smith of Minnesota and Gary Peters of Michigan.
This further complicates the party’s quest for a majority.
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