Senator Jeanne Shaheen Becomes 3rd Democrat to Retire From Senate

By Jeremy Coolidge ‘28

New Hampshire’s Democratic Class 2 United States Senator Jeanne Shaheen has decided not to run for a fourth term, and instead decided to retire after 18 years in the upper chamber of Congress. This has resulted in much unrest in the Democratic Party, as New Hampshire is running a competitive race and could potentially flip to Republican if left open like it is now.

This news comes after fellow Democratic Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Tina Smith (D-MN) both announced their decision to retire in the past two months, leaving their seats open for the taking. All three seats are considered competitive and could lead to a more exciting midterm season then we had previously thought. Some candidates have flirted with the idea of running, most notably former Massachusetts Senator and ambassador to New Zealand, Scott Brown. Scott Brown had previously ran against Shaheen in the 2014 midterm but lost by just 3 points. Brown is heavily considering, if not soft launching a bid, for the seat in 2026.

Former Governor of New Hampshire Chris Sununu, who was one of the most popular governors in the country while serving from 2017 to 2025, was the subject of speculation about a possible 2026 Senate run. He denied some of the speculation of a potential run, but he never completely denied it either, saying that he hasn’t “ruled it out completely.”

On the Democratic side, Representative Chris Pappas would be a likely choice as the party’s nominee. Pappas has served as a United States Representative for New Hampshire’s 1st congressional district since 2019. If elected, he would be the first gay senator from the state.

This race has thus far proved to be highly competitive, making for a rather interesting midterm season coming up.

Image credit: The Boston Globe