Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) announced Tuesday he won’t be running for Senate despite encouragement from national Republicans and President Donald Trump.
“No, I’m not going to run ... For me and my family, it’s just not right for us,” Sununu told New Hampshire’s The Pulse radio program.
Sununu met with Trump at the White House recently to discuss a potential bid to replace Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who is retiring at the end of next year.
“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. “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.”
Sununu’s decision to pass on the race comes as a blow for Senate Republicans, who were hoping to draft a top-tier recruit in the Granite State who can win in what is expected to be a challenging political midterm environment.
However, it is good news for former Massachusetts GOP Sen. Scott Brown, who is seriously exploring jumping into the race. In January, Brown came to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where he met with Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the top Republican in the chamber, as well as Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), the chair of the Senate GOP’s campaign committee.
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On the Democratic side, Rep. Chris Pappas (N.H.) has announced his candidacy to replace Shaheen. First-term Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.) is also looking at the seat.