New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen will not seek reelection, she announced Wednesday, becoming the third Senate Democrat to announce their retirement ahead of the midterms.
Shaheen, who is 78 and was first elected to the Senate in 2008, said she made the “difficult” decision to step aside: “It’s just time.”
“There are urgent challenges ahead, both here at home and around the world, and while I’m not seeking reelection, believe me, I am not retiring,” Shaheen said in a video.
New Hampshire will be a critical battleground in the fight over control for the Senate, but it was already a challenging map for Democrats to retake the majority even before the retirements.
Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) both announced their intention to not seek reelection in February.
President Donald Trump carried Michigan in 2024 and former Vice President Kamala Harris won Minnesota and New Hampshire; Democrats have generally found success in recent Senate races in all three states.
Former Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said on Tuesday he was mulling a run for the seat, and with Shaheen announcing her pending retirement, candidates from both parties will need to decide quickly whether they are running.
In addition to Sununu, Democratic Reps. Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander are both seen as potential candidates. Both parties could have competitive primaries for the seat.
Senators from both sides of the aisle were quick to praise Shaheen for her work in the upper chamber.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) called Shaheen “a good friend, a serious legislator, and a fierce advocate for protecting America’s national security interests.”
In the Senate, Shaheen is the ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee and was the Small Business Committee chair when Democrats last controlled the chamber.
“I am determined to work every day over the next two years and beyond to continue to try and make a difference for the people of New Hampshire and this country,” she said in the video. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you New Hampshire.”
Nicholas Wu contributed to this report.
