Former Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) announced on Wednesday that he is seeking to win back his Senate seat after being ousted by current Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) in 2008.
The candidate announced his intention to run in a video, saying, “somebody has to step up and lower the temperature. Somebody has to get things done.”
From Politico:
The scion of a prominent GOP political dynasty, Sununu, 61, likely gives Republicans their best chance of flipping the seat after his brother, former Gov. Chris Sununu, rejected the party’s recruitment efforts for another cycle.
John E. Sununu brings access to his family’s fundraising machine and boasts close relationships with members of Senate GOP leadership, including Majority Leader John Thune. National and state Republicans consider him a strong candidate. Early polls put him ahead in the GOP primary and show him as the most competitive Republican against the Democratic front-runner, Rep. Chris Pappas.
Sununu has been in talks with the White House about his campaign and will soon meet with President Donald Trump about it, POLITICO first reported. Trump’s endorsement would be critical in the GOP primary, even though the state’s broader electorate thrice rejected him for president.
The New Hampshire way is simple.
— John E. Sununu (@SununuSenator) October 22, 2025
Freedom, hard work, and independence; those aren’t just Granite State values, they’re American values. That’s what I’ll fight for every day. pic.twitter.com/Ril2I7bm9r
Sununu was known as a fiscal conservative when he was in the Senate between 2003 and 2009. He sometimes broke with the GOP on issues like the Patriot Act and the Federal Marriage Amendment.
He also had an adversarial relationship with President Donald Trump. He served as former Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s campaign co-chair in the 2016 election and backed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in 2024. He also penned an op-ed titled “Donald Trump is a loser” in which he harangued the president about his claims that the 2020 election was rigged.
John Sununu’s deep roots and passion for the Granite State make him built to win. New Hampshire is ready for a proven leader who stands up for seniors, fights for economic and educational opportunity, and delivers real solutions to make life more affordable and prosperous.
— Tim Scott (@votetimscott) October 22, 2025
Sununu will be facing former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), who served as Trump’s ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa during his first term. Brown’s relationship with the president could give him an advantage. He is viewed as the more MAGA-aligned candidate and already has a relationship with Trump. However, Trump has not yet endorsed a primary candidate, so Sununu might have a chance if he plays his cards right with the president.