Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Democrat, not running for Senate reelection in 2026
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire announced Wednesday that she will not be running for reelection to the U.S. Senate in 2026.
"Today, after careful consideration, I am announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek reelection to the Senate in 2026," Shaheen said in a social media video. "It's just time."
Shaheen, a 78-year-old Democrat, was first elected to the Senate in 2008. She previously served as the first woman to be elected governor of New Hampshire. In the Senate, Shaheen serves as the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Saint Anselm College political science professor Chris Galdieri told CBS Boston that it's the "end of an era" in the Granite State as Shaheen helped "create the blueprint for the modern Democratic party in New Hampshire."
"For a century before she became governor, this was one of the most Republican states in the country," Galdieri said.
In an interview with The New York Times, Shaheen said her decision was "made more difficult by the current environment in the country - by President Trump and what he's doing right now."
Third Senate Democrat not to run in 2026
Shaheen is the third Senate Democrat to opt out of running in 2026. Sen. Gary Peters, of Michigan, and Sen. Tina Smith, of Minnesota, have also said they won't run for reelection.
Democrats are defending 13 Senate seats in 2026 and need to gain four seats to win back control of the chamber from Republicans.
"One of the wild cards is what the political mood of the country is going to be next year," Galdieri said. "Usually midterm elections don't go so well for the party that controls the White House."
New Hampshire Senate election 2026
Who could replace Shaheen in the Senate? Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, told The Washington Times on Tuesday that D.C. Republicans are asking him to run and he has "not ruled it out completely." Sununu previously passed on challenging Sen. Maggie Hassan in 2022 in order to run for a fourth term as governor.
Former Massachusetts Republican Sen. Scott Brown, who unsuccessfully challenged Shaheen in the 2014 New Hampshire Senate race, reacted to the news Wednesday, saying he appreciated her service to the state.
"Now it's time for New Hampshire to have someone in the delegation who fights for our priorities and stands with, not against, the Trump agenda," Brown posted to X.
On the Democratic side, Congressman Chris Pappas praised Shaheen as "a trailblazer who has worked every day to put New Hampshire first," but did not indicate in his statement if he plans to run for Senate.
New Hampshire has seen many close Senate elections, and it's a wide-open race for 2026. What made Shaheen so successful for decades, Galdieri said, was her approach.
"Some of her opponents complained that it was like running against Betty Crocker because she presented herself as that nice, sane, sensible mom down the street," he said. "I think that was the right approach for New Hampshire."
