Courtesy of the John E. Sununu Campaign/YouTube
By BallotWire
2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — October 22, 2025 — Former U.S. Senator John E. Sununu announced today that he is launching a campaign for the Republican nomination to reclaim his old seat in the U.S. Senate, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest in New Hampshire. Sununu, 61, represented New Hampshire in the Senate from 2003 to 2009 before his defeat by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. His entry into the race immediately elevates GOP hopes of flipping the Senate seat in a state where Democrats have held the seat since 2009.
In his campaign launch video, Sununu described his candidacy as a response to what he called Washington’s “loud, dysfunctional, even angry” politics, and pledged to “calm the waters” in pursuit of what he said were Granite State values: affordability, veteran support, and healthcare reform. “Maybe you’re surprised to hear that I’m running for the Senate again. I’m a bit surprised myself,” he said in the video.
Sununu’s decision comes after the retirement of current Democratic U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen. The race is now broadly viewed as a key battleground for national Republicans aiming to expand their majority in the Senate.
Sununu brings to the race a well-known name and a record of federal service: he served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2003 and one term in the Senate.
His family is prominent in New Hampshire politics—his father, John H. Sununu, was governor of the state and later White House chief of staff, and his brother Chris Sununu served four terms as governor.
Sununu enters a Republican field that already includes former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, who announced his candidacy in June. On the Democratic side, Rep. Chris Pappas declared his run earlier this year.
National GOP strategists view Sununu’s entry as a strong recruiting win. The Republican-held Senate majority is narrow, and flipping New Hampshire would significantly increase their support. Sununu’s moderate-to-establishment profile could broaden appeal in a state that has trended Democratic at the federal level in recent cycles.