Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said he will not run for U.S. Senate, despite scoring President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
Sununu — who served four terms as the state’s governor before declining to seek a fifth — made the announcement Monday on The Pulse of NH’s “Good Morning NH” radio show. Sununu had been viewed as a frontrunner for the 2026 Senate race since Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced she would not seek reelection.
“I really thought about it,” he said to The Pulse of NH’s Jack Heath. “I actually talked to the White House this morning. I talked to Tim Scott. Thanked him for all their support and confidence and all that, but I don’t have to be the candidate, and I’m not going to be the candidate.”
Sununu’s remarks follow Trump backing the Republican’s potential run over the weekend.
“He came to my office, came to the Oval Office, and met with Chris Sununu, and I support him fully. I hope he runs,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. “He’s been very nice to me over the last year or so, but no, I hope he runs. I think he’ll win that seat.”
Trump’s support came as a surprise given how he and Sununu have clashed over the years. Sununu has previously criticized Trump’s rhetoric, backing Nikki Haley in the 2024 Republican primary. However, he quickly threw his support behind Trump after he became the presumptive nominee.
Scott Brown, a former Massachusetts GOP senator and U.S. ambassador, who is weighing a potential run, praised Sununu on Tuesday. Brown was the Republican nominee for the New Hampshire Senate seat in 2014.
“@ChrisSununu and the entire Sununu family are patriots who have made our state a better place – looking forward to seeing what’s next for him and working alongside him for New Hampshire’s future,” Brown said in an X post Tuesday, referring to Sununu’s announcement.
Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas launched a campaign for Shaheen’s Senate seat last week, seeking to maintain Democrats’ grasp of the seat.
With a Senate run out of the picture, Sununu said he would continue his work in the private sector for now.
